Mil-blogger Surveys Iraq, Afghan Wars Through Arts

http://acolytesofwar.com/

"Time Now," a military blog that reviews "The Iraq and Afghanistan Wars in Art, Film, and Literature," has been added to the Red Bull Rising blog-roll. It appears in the right-hand column of the webpage, under a new "Military Arts and Culture Blogs" category. In past posts, blogger Peter Molin has considered topics including contemporary war poetry and literature, photography and cinema, and theatrical and dance productions.

Molin, a U.S. Army officer who served on Embedded Training Team in Afghanistan's Khost and Paktiya provinces in 2008-2009, also maintains an archived of his deployment experiences at "15-month Adventure."

Red Bull Rising blog readers may remember that Paktiya Province was the area of operation of the Iowa Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry Battalion, during the 2nd Brigade Combat Team (B.C.T.), 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division's (2-34th BCT) deployment in 2010-2011.

Unlike the standard "the views herein do not reflect those of the U.S. Army" boilerplate, Molin's disclaimer regarding his deployment is clear, conversational, and worthy of duplication by other mil-bloggers. Note how he blends both his blog's mission and intent:

I am an active-duty Army officer. I started this blog to keep friends and family informed about my deployment to Afghanistan in 2008-2009 as the leader of an "Embedded Transition Team." I have kept it going since because it gives me a chance to reflect on the experience and because at least some people say they still enjoy reading it. My intent is to write in interesting and original ways about the war without being critical of the US or the Army, without compromising security or operations, and without saying anything remotely unflattering about the great military personnel and civilians with whom I served.

Here are some of Molin's reviews of contemporary mil-poetry collections:

• Walter E. Piatt's "Paktika." Piatt deployed to Iraq twice and Afghanistan once, when he was a battalion commander in Eastern Afghanistan Paktika Province. He is a past commandant of the U.S. Army Infantry School, and is currently a deputy commanding general with the 10th Mountain Division. Unfortunately, "Paktika" seems to be out of print, but his 2003 collection titled "She Came to the Door to Wave Good-bye" is still available here.

• Paul Wasserman's "Say Again All." Wasserman is an Army Aviation NCO. His chapbook is available through Lulu.com here.

• Elyse Fenton's "Clamor." Fenton is the wife of a combat medic. The 2010 collection is available on Amazon here. Another review of her work, suggested by another Red Bull Rising blog reader, appears here.

*****

Note: This content regarding military writing is underwritten by Victor Ian LLC, a military media and gaming business. The business publishes Lanterloon, an eclectic lifestyle, technology, and military blog; has a physical retail storefront called "Dragons and Dragoons" located in Colorado Springs, Colo.; and hosts military-writing workshops and other events under the "Sangria Summit" brand name.

2 TV Docs Focus on Guard Soldiers Nov. 10

A 28-minute documentary featuring citizen-soldiers deployed with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division premieres on public television stations statewide in Iowa tomorrow (Thurs., Nov. 10) at 7:30 p.m., Central Daylight Time.

Titled "Iowa Soldiers Remember Afghanistan," the documentary was compiled from Iowa Public Television (IPTV), Des Moines (Iowa) Register, and Department of Defense video, and will air three additional times on Veterans Day Fri., Nov. 11.

On-air schedule for "Iowa Soldiers Remember Afghanistan":

• Thurs., Nov. 10, 7:30 p.m. on IPTV
• Fri., Nov. 11, 5:00 p.m. on IPTV World
• Fri., Nov. 11, 8:30 p.m. on IPTV World
• Fri., Nov. 11, 10:30 p.m. on IPTV

Also premiering on public television stations nationwide is "Where Soldiers Come From," an 86-minute documentary focusing on three Michigan National Guard soldiers deployed to Afghanistan's Khost Province in 2009.

According to press materials: "As it chronicles the young men's transformation from restless teenagers to soldiers looking for roadside bombs to 23-year-old combat veterans trying to start their lives again, the film offers an intimate look at the young Americans who fight our wars, the families and towns they come from--and the way one faraway conflict changes everything."

In discussing challenges citizen-soldiers face upon their return from deployment, the film covers topics such as Post-Traumatic Stress and Traumatic Brain Injury.

The Iowa on-air schedule for "Where Soldiers Come From":

• Thurs., Nov. 10, 2011 9:00 p.m. (IPTV)
• Wed., Nov. 16, 2011 7:30 a.m. (IPTV World)
• Wed., Nov. 16, 2011 1:30 p.m. (IPTV World)
• Wed., Nov. 16, 2011 6:30 p.m. (IPTV World)
• Sat., Nov. 19, 2011 11:00 a.m. (IPTV World)

For local listings elsewhere, use the Zip Code-based locator here.

Film Fest: 8 Docs About War in Afghanistan

Military operations in Afghanistan continue to enjoy some long, hard looks from documentary film makers. These projects provide viewers the opportunities to virtually walk the ground, to experience second-hand some of the emotions and frustrations that soldiers face daily.

In the spirit of a past Red Bull Film Festival blog-post, here's a quick list--alphabetical and chronological by year of release--of recent and upcoming Afghan-themed documentary projects:


"ARMADILLO" (2010)

This film depicts the 2009 experiences of a Danish army platoon located at Forward Operating Base Armadillo in Southern Afghanistan's Helmand Province. Earlier this fall, the film premiered in the United States on the Public Broadcasting Service's (P.B.S.)"P.O.V." documentary series.

The film is subtitled, and rich with post-production saturations of color and manipulations of sounds. Some critics argue that the film blurs the line between truth-telling and entertainment. That said, the soldiers' opinions and daily life are presented without obvious editorial comment, starting with good-byes to friends and family, landing in unforgiving country, and grinding through daily battles, boredom, and emotional fatigue. The troops are regularly frustrated by an enemy who seems always just out of reach, until a fateful and successful ambush of Taliban forces.

As the POV website notes:

Whether they go over the line in killing wounded Taliban is in the eye of the beholder, and the soldiers immediately begin justifying their actions to themselves. The wounded men moved and who could take a chance that they weren’t reaching to detonate a bomb? There is even a suggestion that the shootings were mercy killings for men dying slowly. The most potent aspect of the men’s solidarity in the face of criticism is their own accusation: How could anyone who was not there presume to judge them?

Such questions are guaranteed to generate thought and discussion. There is a lesson-plan based on the film for use by educators.

Internet Movie Database (I.M.D.B.) listing here.

See preview trailer online here.

To be released on DVD Oct. 18, 2011.

*****

"THE BATTLE FOR MARJAH" (2010)

In February 2010, in Afghanistan's Helmand Province, U.S. Marines, Afghan, and other forces launched Operation Moshtarak, the largest military operation since the start of the Afghan war, and the first major move since the Obama administration had announced plans to send an additional 30,000 troops to that country.

Centerpiece to the effort was the town of Marjah, a town of 80,000 people in Southern Afghanistan's Helmand Province. The film explores the efficacy of U.S. forces "clear, hold, and build" strategy, as well as the effects of engagement rules intended to minimize civilian casualties.

Journalist Ben Anderson spent two months embedded with the Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment. Four months after the success of Operation Moshtarak, Anderson returned to Marjah to find the troops fighting for a shrinking zone of control. "Marines fight battles," press materials quote one marine. "They don't fight wars."

IMDB listing here.

Recently released in DVD and Blu-ray combo-pack.

*****

"RESTREPO" (2010)

This is the proverbial 155-millimeter artillery round of Afghan war documentaries. In 2007 and 2008, author Sebastian Junger and photographer Tim Hetherington repeatedly embedded with a company of active-duty soldiers of the U.S. Army's 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team in Eastern Afghanistan.

Red Bull Rising blog readers will remember that "Restrepo" was previously nominated for an Academy Award in the documentary feature category, and was a 2010 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize recipient.

Recently, the film garnered two additional awards: an Emmy for long-form news coverage and another for editing.

Click here for a June 2010 Red Bull Rising review of "Restrepo."

IMDB listing here.

View preview trailer online here.

Available on DVD and Blu-ray.

*****

"SHEPHERDS OF HELMAND" (2010)

Deployed to Southern Afghanistan's Helmand Province in 2008, an Embedded Training Team (E.T.T.) comprising 17 Oregon National Guard soldiers was tasked with mentoring an Afghan National Army battalion--a "kandak." Instead, they found themselves assigned to an Afghan counter-narcotics battalion, with whom no U.S. team had ever before worked. The team spent three months in daily firefights out of Patrol Base Attal. One charismatic captain was killed by Improvised Explosive Device (I.E.D.) in September 2008. Two other soldiers were wounded in that attack. The next year, thousands of U.S. Marines deployed to the area. Directed by Gary Mortensen.

IMDB listing here.

See preview trailer online here.

Available on DVD here. Fifty percent of proceeds go to support Honored American Veterans Afield (H.A.V.A.), a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting disabled veterans with the healing process by facilitating their participation in outdoor sports.

*****

"THE TILLMAN STORY" (2010)

In 2004, National Football League player Pat Tillman was killed by friendly fire while serving as an active-duty U.S. Army Ranger in Eastern Afghanistan. Along with his brother Kevin, Tillman had enlisted following the attacks of Sept. 11, 2011. Military leaders and politicians subsequently sought to subvert the truth, as well as Tillman's wishes against being used for propaganda purposes, whether living or dead.

While lacking the richer explorations of Tillman's personality, drive, and beliefs that can be found in two previously published books—Jon Krakauer's "Where Men Win Glory" and Mary Tillman's "Boots on the Ground by Dusk"—the documentary is no less damning of military and governmental sins of omission and commission following Tillman's death.

IMDB listing here.

Available on DVD and Blu-ray.

*****

"BOMB PATROL: AFGHANISTAN" (2011)

Not a feature documentary, but rather a 10-hour cable television reality series. The high-definition production follows an 8-member U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (E.O.D.) from stateside training to deployment in Northern Afghanistan.

Previews and press-talk for the show promise plenty of explosions, robots, and helmet-cam video. Could this equal "Hurt Locker" (2008) meets "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare"?

Premieres Oct. 25 on the video game and technology-heavy G4 channel.

Click here for website.

*****

"PATROL BASE JAKER" (2011)

This film tells the story of the U.S. 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment during the unit's 2009 tour in Southern Afghanistan's Helmand Province. Originally built in 2008 by the British Army's Task Force Helmand, Patrol Base Jaker is now an expeditionary base maintained by U.S. Marines.

The film premiered May 2011 at the G.I. Film Festival in Washington D.C., where it won best documentary.

In an August post on the film's Facebook page, director David Scantling is preparing final cut for a Nov. 10, 2011 theatrical release. The movie will also be released on DVD/Blu-ray and Internet/iTunes venues around that same time.

IMDB listing here.

See preview trailer online here.

*****

"HELL AND BACK AGAIN" (2011)

Theatrically released earlier this month, this Danfung Dennis film flips between 2009 events in Southern Afghanistan with Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, and the subsequent homecoming of 25-year-old Marine Sgt. Nathan Harris. According to press materials: "When Sergeant Harris returns home to North Carolina after a life-threatening injury in battle, the film evolves from a war exposé to the story of one man’s personal apocalypse. With the love and support of his wife, Ashley, Harris struggles to overcome the difficulties of transitioning back to civilian life."

Notably, Dennis chose to avoid a traditional soundtrack in the film. "There isn't an orchestra playing when you're running through a battlefield," he said in a recent interview with National Public Radio. "There isn't, you know, huge drums. It's just pure terror." In place of music, Dennis and sound designer J. Ralph manipulated sounds found on the battlefield. "The sound of gunfire, the sound of crying, it's often that you'll hear these sounds and you'll see these images in your mind as if they were a memory," Dennis told NPR. "But they become so intense that you actually stop seeing what's around you and you stop hearing it."

The film received the World Cinema Jury and Cinematography prizes at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.

IMDB listing here.

See preview trailer online here.

'60 Minutes' Covers Eastern Afghanistan

While the soldiers of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team (B.C.T.), 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division were under a communications blackout while at Fort Irwin, Calif., the CBS newsmagazine "60 Minutes" featured a story regarding tactical conditions in Eastern Afghanistan.

Titled "A Relentless Enemy," the 13-minute feature focuses on one company of the 101st Airborne "Screaming Eagles" Division. (Symbols depicted in the report indicate the company is part of 3rd BCT "Rakkasans", 101st Airborne Division.) Operating approximately 15 miles from the Afghan-Pakistan border at Combat Outpost ("COP") Zerok, nearly half of the U.S. troops there have earned Purple Hearts since January.

For the video, click here.

For the transcript, click here.

Coincidentally, Capt. John Hintz, just happens to be from Iowa. His wife and children live in West Des Moines. That connection helped Des Moines Register reporter Tony Leys, who has been following the Red Bull deployment, localize the story. In the Sept. 26, 2010 Des Moines Register, Leys wrote:

Nearly 3,000 Iowa National Guard troops will soon travel to eastern Afghanistan, and some of them will man outposts similar to the one where Hintz and his troops are living. Guard leaders say the Iowa soldiers will be too busy training in California to watch “60 Minutes” tonight. [...]

But many Iowans probably will tune in, and they could see troubling images.

Several thousand civilians live in the 50-mile-by-30-mile region the company is assigned to cover, and most of them seem to support the insurgents, Hintz said. Much of that support probably stems more from fear than from loyalty, he added. The civilians might switch sides if U.S. and Afghan government forces could turn the tide and show they are going to beat the insurgents. But that’s a daunting challenge.

In the past three months, 254 insurgent rockets have hit Hintz’s outpost. The soldiers also face roadside bombs and rifle and machine-gun fire when they head out on foot patrols.

His company’s 110 soldiers have been awarded 40 Purple Hearts for combat injuries since arriving in January. Two of his soldiers died, and several were sent home with serious wounds.

Like my fellow mil-blogger Red-Bull-Six-Bravo, I think it's important that Red Bull friends and family recognize that conditions vary widely across Afghanistan. Expressing concerns about how family and friends will react to the "60 Minutes" report, Six-Bravo writes:

Now I know that none of you are idiots and you know that the media always tends to slant things. I also know that a lot of people are experiencing their first deployments; their first separation from husbands, wives, brothers, parents, etc. In that situation, it’s always easier to believe misrepresentative information, specifically if it’s bad.

I know that part of the reason my wife sent me that article [about the 60 Minutes feature] is because it made her worry even more than she already was. I don’t want that to turn into an epidemic. If you’re worried and don’t know where your soldier is going, ask. More than likely they already know.

I hear what Six-Bravo is saying, but, in this case, I think that the "60 Minutes" report, along with The Des Moines Register's follow-up print story, is relatively clear-eyed and responsible. (I find the coverage similar to the hefty-dose-of-reality "Restrepo," a documentary to be released on DVD in November.) After all, we're not exactly sending our friends and neighbors on a risk-free vacation.

Any military endeavor is inherently risky--that's why we spend so much time and effort focusing on safety, and wearing protective equipment, and training on life-saving skills. Our Red Bull troops will be as safe as possible, but they'll still be in harm's way.

Am I concerned about my Red Bull buddies? Sure. Am I worried? Not so much. Here's an example of why:

At approximately 7:30 to 9:30 minutes into the "60 Minutes" report, one of the Mine-Resistant Armor Protected (MRAP, pronounced "em-rap") vehicles bottoms-out on some rocks. While the troops are recovering the vehicle using a tow-bar, they're ambushed by insurgents who are using machine guns and rocket grenades.

Compare that scenario with a recent training event reported on by WHO-TV Channel 13's Sonya Heitshusen out at Fort Irwin. While recovering an MRAP vehicle, soldiers of Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry (D/1/168th Inf.) reacted to an ambush, booby-traps, and taking casualties.

In the WHO-TV report, on-scene trainers described the scenario as "worst-case." Given media reports from downrange in Afghanistan, however, "worst-case" doesn't mean "can't happen." In the months to come in Afghanistan, some Red Bull soldiers may never hear a weapon fired in anger. Others may hear them all too often.

All of them, however, have trained with the right equipment, the right people, and under the right conditions to meet the challenges ahead. Friends and family should remember and take comfort in that, above all else.

"Attack!"

'Screaming Eagles 101,' Part 2

Excerpt of Afghan political map (above) from www.understandingwar.org.

Continuing the format of yesterday's Red Bull Rising blog post, the following presents annotated and excerpted comments from Maj. Gen. John Campbell ("Eagle-6"), commander of the 101st Airborne "Screaming Eagles" Division. The division is currently deployed to Regional Command-East (RC-East), Afghanistan. Dated earlier this month, these comments were part of a regular series of publicly disseminated messages from the commander.

These remarks are of potential interest to Red Bull Rising readers, given the likelihood that all or part of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team (B.C.T.), 34th Infantry "Red Bull" Division will, upon arrival to Afghanistan, work under Campbell's command. In short, it provides a "Screaming Eagles 101" primer on the Red Bull's future operational environment.

Red Bull Rising notes on acronyms used in this message:

• "C.A.B." (pronounced "kab") stands for "Combat Aviation Brigade." Because of its historical role in fulfilling helicopter-borne missions, The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) is the only U.S. Army division to include two aviation brigades.
• "FOB" (pronounced "faub") stands for "Forward Operating Base."
• "GiROA" stands for "Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan."
• "ANSF" (sometimes pronounced "an-sif") stands for "Afghan National Security Forces," and includes both army and police units.

Eagle-6 sends:

The Currahees are now in charge of their battlespace, the Paktika Province. They assumed their battlespace on 8 September. They are the final piece of the "surge", I have mentioned continuity in previous updates, and how we are trying to maintain as much continuity with units as we can, and the Currahees are a prime example. 1-506 is back in Sharana ... where they were on their last deployment, and 2-506 is back at FOB Orgun-E ... also where they were before. About 60% of the battalions were on the last deployment, and have rekindled relationships with Afghans they met on the last deployment. The Currahees complete the deployment of Force Package 3, the last of President Obama’s surge announced earlier this year.

We now have the 101st Division Headquarters, Bastogne (1BCT, 101st), Strike (2BCT, 101st), Rakkasan (3BCT, 101st), Currahee (4BCT, 101st), and Destiny (101st CAB) in Afghanistan. The Sustainment Brigade Headquarters will join us here later this fall, and 159th CAB will replace the 101st CAB in the JAN/FEB timeframe. This makes the first time that an entire US Division is deployed to Afghanistan.

Bastogne (1BCT, 101st) has received 1-61 Cavalry Squadron from the Currahees, and has conducted operations in Laghman Province and Nangarhar Province to set conditions for TF Panther. They continue to face a determined insurgent force in their area with increased IEDs on southern routes and attacks on COPs and FOBs in Kunar Province.

Strike (2BCT, 101st) continues to improve security in the Maiwand, Zharey, and Arghandab Districts of RC-South. They recently bid farewell to 2-508th Infantry who redeployed to Fort Bragg, and recently welcomed the 1-66 Armor from the 1st “Raider” Brigade of 4th ID.

Rakkasans (3BCT, 101st) continue to face a determined enemy who, as mentioned above, is suffering from a failed attack. Rakkasans have relinquished Paktika to the Currahees, and now focus on Paktiya and Khowst Provinces. 3-187 has moved to East Ghazni, and will work for Task Force White Eagle, the Polish Brigade. 1-187 will go down to RC-South to assist in operations there.

Bayonet (173rd Airborne) focuses on Logar and Wardak provinces. They have helped GIRoA respond to the flooding in their area of operations. Recently, 60 farmers in Wardak attended agriculture training designed to improve their farming methods. Like the rest of CJTF-101, they are preparing for the upcoming parliamentary elections.

Lafayette (the French Brigade) remains focused on conducting operations to disrupt the insurgents’ ability to impact Highway 7. In the Kapisa Province, they have conducted operations in Alasay, Bedraou, and Tag Ab valleys. Tracing the roots of the French working with the 101st back to World War II, they are very proud to be working with us again, and can frequently be heard saying, “Air Assault!”

White Eagle (the Polish Brigade) has received 3-187 Infantry from Rakkasans, and is conducting operations along Highway 1 to disrupt insurgent IED cells. They are also preparing to transition in the next contingent of Polish forces who begin arriving later this month.

Wolverine (86th IBCT- Vermont NG) continues to conduct operations in Parwan, Panjshir, and Bamyan. Partnered with governors and ANSF leaders, their civilian led Provincial Reconstruction Teams continue to make positive progress in the most stable provinces of RC-East.

Falcon (3rd CAB) and Destiny (101st CAB) both continue outstanding support to conventional and special operations forces [S.O.F.] in both RC-East and RC-South respectively. They routinely coordinate for nightly contingency operations while maintaining the flexibility for time-sensitive targets as required. SOF missions account for 52% of 479 missions flown over the past nine months by 3rd CAB in RC-East and 69% of 216 missions flown in five months by 101st CAB in RC-South. They manage to do this while providing lift and attack helicopters to support the rest of the Coalition Forces in RC-East, RC-Capital, and RC-South.

Back at Fort Campbell, the Lifeliners (101st Sustainment Brigade) and Eagle Thunder (159th CAB) continue their preparations for their upcoming deployments. Lifeliners just completed their Command Post Exercise, and are in their final preparations for deployment as they prepare their colors casing and block leave in October. Thunder is conducting off-post training events in preparation for an air training exercise in December. They have a little more time to train, and will deploy after the New Year. [...]

The 'Mouth of the Dragon'

In a particularly powerful piece of reporting earlier this week, freelance journalist Michael Yon describes the death of U.S. Army Spc. Adam Ray, 23, in Afghanistan's Helmand Province. Ray was killed, and others injured, while checking culverts for Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). Here in the American Midwest, culverts are as common as cows and crops. The pipes crossing under our roads allow water to pass from one ditch, creek, or field to another. "In safe countries," writes Yon, "drivers pay as little attention to culverts as we would to telephone poles."

In the war zone that is Afghanistan, life and limb depend on noticing normally mundane things like culverts. They are a favorite hiding spot for the Taliban to plant bombs intended to kill Americans driving the roads. Hundreds, even thousands of pounds of explosives can be stuffed inside, launching our vehicles into the sky, flipping them over and over, sometimes killing all. And so, in some areas, soldiers on missions must stop dozens of times to check culverts for explosives. Since we do this every day in front of thousands of Afghans, they know our patterns. In addition to planting bombs in culverts, they plant mines and other bombs near culverts, to get men who stop to check.

Every year, my neighborhood's homeowners association has to pay someone to clear the branches and brambles away from our drains and culverts, in order to prevent flooding. That's about all the thought we give them. Think about worrying about every culvert you and your friends drive over every day, or sticking your face into one or a hundred such holes, in order to seek out explosives.

A recent Missouri National Guard news release described the efforts of U.S. veteran Mike Woodgerd, now working as a contractor in Afghanistan, helping to install "Solerno boxes" onto road culverts. "Every time our guys have to dismount and actually look into those culverts, they are staring into the mouth of the dragon," Woodgerd told Army Sgt. Jon E. Dougherty.
The metal devices help prevent emplacement of IEDs, which helps keep soldiers away from the mouth of the dragon. Recently, Woodgerd was working in Khost Province with a route-clearance unit from Missouri. The National Guard-approved news article describes the action:

[Army 1st Lt.] Miller's platoon took just four hours to deploy the first two boxes, an operation that immediately drew the attention--and concern--of local Afghans. Shortly after the combat engineers began working, an elder from a nearby village ventured out alone to check on the commotion. He was met by Miller and by Army Capt. Bryan Sayer, commander of the 1141st [Engineer Company, Missouri Army National Guard].

It seems he was primarily concerned that the devices would impede or cut off the flow of water through the culvert--water that is vital to farming in this arid environment. But the soldier-diplomats quickly assuaged the elder's concerns by explaining that the denial system would hinder insurgents but not hamper the flow of water.

Part of the plan to keep the boxes in place depends on the trust and support of the local people, who need to know they are being put there to help protect them as well as U.S. and NATO forces. Soon after, crowds that had gathered at the periphery began to close in on the American soldiers, the elder's acceptance serving as the icebreaker.

Please click over to Michael Yon's website, and read the rest of his article about Ray. His final, Ernie-Pyle-like paragraph is heartbreaking in its mundanity. It's also something that I wish I could've written, and hope I never have to. Yon works for himself, by the way--you can keep him in business by donating to the cause. We need more eyes on the ground like his.