617Dambusters

Posted: **Mon Jul 09, 2007 9:03 am**

On Wednesday I got â€œThe callâ€ from the Operation room. I was to meet in the OPs ASAP and get all my men in.

We got two major rivers running trough over area, and both of them are flooded. Iâ€™ve been out commanding my men filling sand-bags and building flood-barriers since Thursday.

some pictures from readers:
http://dt.no/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=DT&Dato=20070706&Kategori=BILDEGALLERI&Lopenr=706036&Ref=PH&Params=Itemnr=1
http://dt.no/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=DT&Dato=20070704&Kategori=UPAS&Lopenr=704038&Ref=PH&Params=Itemnr=1

[url]http://www.mil.no/hv/hv-03/start/article.jhtml?articleID=142808
[/url]

Posted: **Mon Jul 09, 2007 9:16 am**

Well we were wondering last nite where you slipped off too.

Posted: **Mon Jul 09, 2007 9:22 am**

Sure it's been a long week for you and your men, Thor.

One thing that tends to get forgotten (at least in the States, anyway) is the important contributions that reserve and national guardsmen/women make in their local communities.

Often, those that don't know (or don't pay attention) simply think that these citizen-soldiers/sailors go off and play Army for a few days a month. Usually takes an event like yours (or Katrina or, unfortunately, Enduring/Iraqi Freedom) to appreciate the time and sacrifices that people like you and your men and thousands of guard/reservists in the states make every single day.

Get some rest and stay dry...hope the flood waters start to recede soon.

Posted: **Tue Jul 10, 2007 3:27 am**

True enough about the reserve soldiers being important.

Australia was saved from the Japanese by a small bunch of part time soldiers. They were actually classed as militia, and were largely untrained (back in those days we didn't have a reserve, or national guard). Many of them hadn't even fired a rifle before they got to New Guinea, but they were the first troops to ever cause the Japanese to retreat, even though they were severely out numbered, and outgunned. Before then, the public, and the regular army referred to them as "chocolate soldiers", as they were expected to melt in the heat of battle, and they were not taken seriously. After the battle for the Kokoda track, that all turned around.

We often see our reserve soldiers helping in natural disasters, and they do an awesome job. Back when we were over-extended with troops in East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan at the same time, it was largely the reserve units that saved the day.