New Dispatch from Michael Yon

If you haven't heard of him, or read his work, I would highly recommend that you check him out. I've had a link to his site up for a while, and I've been an avid reader for several months. Michael Yon is a private journalist, operating out of his own pocket, who has been travelling with the 1st Battallion, 24th Infantry Regiment of the 1st Brigade 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), or Deuce Four, if you're into the whole brevity thing. And I must say, it's some of the finest journalism I've seen coming out of this whole war. It's not political. Being a former Ranger himself, it's obvious that Michael is loyal to the men of Deuce Four, but he really does give an unflinching, real view of the way things are going in Mosul. In one incident, he actually picked up a rifle and tried to save an injured soldier! Lt. Colonel Erik Kurilla (a fucking hero, and a man's man if ever there was one) was shot several times right in front of him. The two Rangers in front of him froze, as if Superman had been gunned down right in front of them. So he picked up a rifle, and started shooting. He hit a propane tank and nearly killed everybody. He was, of course, reprimanded. They told him if he ever did that again, he'd be going home. But it just shows how deeply "embedded" Michael Yon is. Truly a must read for anyone interested in getting the real story.