They say they don't support the troops...

I was amazed to hear a story that somehow didn't involve tragity about a Marine in Iraq. Here it is: USMC sniper metes out swift death in Iraq

He was 5 when he first fired an M-16, his father holding him to brace against the recoil. At 17 he enlisted in the Marine Corps, spurred by the memory of 9/11. Now, 21-year-old Galen Wilson has 20 confirmed kills in four months in Iraq — and another 40 shots that probably killed insurgents. One afternoon the lance corporal downed a man hauling a grenade launcher five-and-a-half football fields away.

I was shocked and amazed. The media has hid stories like this for the duration of the war under piles of "grim milestone" stories. I noticed at powerline they had linked to the site that shall not be named and thier response to this article. I was surprised by some of the responses, as I still expected some kind of "I support the troops"-type response...but no. Some were downright cruel in the attitude they took. Some tolerance these people exemplified.

Now...on to my personal note. This guy's good. Based on the information given in the article, LCpl Wilson is not actually a part of a sniper team (and thus not armed with the impressive .50 caliber rifle). It sounds like this guy is pulling this off with his M-16 (probably A4 with a scope)...which is impressive.

During a large-scale attack on Easter Sunday, Wilson says, he spotted six gunmen on a rooftop about 400 yards away. In about 8 seconds he squeezed off five rounds — hitting five gunmen in the head. The sixth man dived off a 3-story building just as Wilson got him in his sights, and counts as a probable death.

This is awesome. It takes a second for the rifle to settle after a shot. He's pretty quick. I want to see more articles like this in the future. Let's hear about more of my fellow Marines and the tasks they do and the sacrifices they have made to keep us at home more secure.