Showing posts with label selfless service. Show all posts
Showing posts with label selfless service. Show all posts
Friday, April 19, 2013
STAY STRONG BOSTON FROM AFGHANISTAN
An awesome picture from Afghanistan - Thanks to these Soldiers for their service and their solidarity with the people of Boston
Friday, March 22, 2013
‘Murph: The Protector’ - A MUST SEE Movie
Here is my request - Go see this movie and pay your respects to the US Navy SEALs who put it all on the line for all of us. Please.
They do it all for you.
They do it all for you.
Posthumous Salute to a SEAL Team Leader
‘Murph: The Protector,’ a Documentary About a Navy SEAL
Mactavish Pictures
Lt. Michael P. Murphy, left, is the subject of the film “Murph: The Protector.”
By DANIEL M. GOLD / NY TIMES
Published: March 21, 2013
For the American military June 28, 2005, was a very bad day. A four-man Navy SEAL reconnaissance team in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan had been caught in a mountainside firefight with overwhelming Taliban forces, and the Special Operations helicopter sent to extract them was shot down. The 16 men aboard died, as did 3 of the 4 team members on the ground. (The one who lived, Marcus Luttrell, wrote a best-selling account, “Lone Survivor”; the major-motion-picture version, starring Mark Wahlberg, is scheduled for release next fall.)
“Murph: The Protector” is a short, spare documentary about Lt. Michael P. Murphy, the SEAL team leader awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously in 2007. Mr. Murphy, a Long Island native, is recalled as a stand-up son, brother and friend, a lifeguard at Lake Ronkonkoma Beach, a graduate from Penn State who surprised those close to him with declaring his intent to enter the Navy’s elite SEAL unit. “You don’t wish that for your son, to be put in harm’s way,” says his father, Daniel Murphy, himself a Vietnam veteran who was wounded in action.
We’re told of Mr. Murphy’s perseverance in achieving his goal. But limited to what his family and friends can describe — there is virtually no video of Mr. Murphy — the film doesn’t give a full sense of its subject. Instead, it works best as a report from stateside: the early news of the firefight; the visit from Navy officers; the drive up from Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, escorted by police units along the way, to burial at Calverton National Cemetery. The honors came after, including the naming of a new destroyer and the Medal of Honor, which was the first given for combat in Afghanistan. As operations there wind down, “Murph: The Protector” reminds us of the valor expended on distant front lines and the holes left at home.
“Murph: The Protector” is rated PG (Parental guidance suggested) for themes of war and death
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America ask for your help
Please read this request for you to sign a petition and get the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to do the job that they are well paid to perform. That wounded Veterans have to wait up to 2 yrs to get the help they need is unacceptable.
Congress, the President and their staff don't have to wait for anything. It is about time that Veterans who defended our country get the same consideration. Really.
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Tuesday, March 5, 2013
NEPTUNUS LEX - Captain Carroll LeFon, US Navy Retired - RIP
A year ago, we lost one of our best shipmates -
And we are still trying to understand why but the Good Lord must have needed him in Heaven
Here's my post from a year ago -
Thanks again Cap for all you contributed to our lives and our country. You are missed.
The world lost more than one hero
yesterday.
Captain Carroll LeFon, US Navy retired died in a plane accident flying a Israeli Kfir for a military contractor when his jet crashed outside Fallon Air Base in Nevada.
He was known to many in the Navy but many others from his well read blog, Neptunus Lex.
http://www.neptunuslex.com/
He is the main reason I started writing here at US Navy Jeep. He inspired me to want to be more like him and to share the leadership lessons we had experienced in our military careers and life.
As I had written in an earlier posting, "It can all change in an instant..."; None of us are guaranteed anything. Capt LeFon was doing exactly what he loved, flying. He had a difficult day with his plane the day before when his drag chute failed to deploy....He wrote about it in his normal enlightened prose and made light of it. The next day, he was gone.
Our world is a little less bright and enlightened by his loss. He made us think, lead by example and shared the virtues of a cold glass of Guinness. We will not see his like on this earth again.
It is somewhat prophetic that I was watching " The Search for Spock " last night, which deals with the bond between Kirk and Spock and how Captain Kirk finds a way to overcome the death of his friend...In real life, we do not have such ability.
I share in the loss of our Shipmate, Captain Carroll LeFon, Neptunus Lex. All our prayers and sympathies to his wife and children.
In tribute to our beloved shipmate, I would share the words of Pericles who delivered a funeral oration that paid tribute to his men.
" I would have you day by day fix your eyes upon the greatness of Athens, until you become filled with the love of her; and when you are impressed by the spectacle of her glory, reflect that this empire has been acquired by men who knew their duty and had the courage to do it, who in the hour of conflict had the fear of dishonor always present to them, and who, if ever they failed in an enterprise, would not allow their virtues to be lost to their country, but freely gave their lives to her as the fairest offering which they could present at her feast.
The sacrifice which they collectively made was individually repaid to them; for they received again each one for himself a praise which grows not old, and the noblest of all tombs, I speak not of that in which their remains are laid, but of that in which their glory survives, and is proclaimed always and on every fitting occasion both in word and deed. For the whole earth is the tomb of famous men; not only are they commemorated by columns and inscriptions in their own country, but in foreign lands there dwells also an unwritten memorial of them, graven not on stone but in the hearts of men."Pericles - In tribute to his soldiers after first battles of the Peloponnesian war
Rest Easy CAP, we have the watch. Fair Winds and Following Seas.
And we are still trying to understand why but the Good Lord must have needed him in Heaven
Here's my post from a year ago -
Thanks again Cap for all you contributed to our lives and our country. You are missed.
NEPTUNUS LEX - Captain Carroll LeFon, US Navy Retired - He belongs to the ages - (1960-2012)
The world lost more than one hero
yesterday.Captain Carroll LeFon, US Navy retired died in a plane accident flying a Israeli Kfir for a military contractor when his jet crashed outside Fallon Air Base in Nevada.
He was known to many in the Navy but many others from his well read blog, Neptunus Lex.
http://www.neptunuslex.com/
He is the main reason I started writing here at US Navy Jeep. He inspired me to want to be more like him and to share the leadership lessons we had experienced in our military careers and life.
As I had written in an earlier posting, "It can all change in an instant..."; None of us are guaranteed anything. Capt LeFon was doing exactly what he loved, flying. He had a difficult day with his plane the day before when his drag chute failed to deploy....He wrote about it in his normal enlightened prose and made light of it. The next day, he was gone.
Our world is a little less bright and enlightened by his loss. He made us think, lead by example and shared the virtues of a cold glass of Guinness. We will not see his like on this earth again.
It is somewhat prophetic that I was watching " The Search for Spock " last night, which deals with the bond between Kirk and Spock and how Captain Kirk finds a way to overcome the death of his friend...In real life, we do not have such ability.
I share in the loss of our Shipmate, Captain Carroll LeFon, Neptunus Lex. All our prayers and sympathies to his wife and children.
In tribute to our beloved shipmate, I would share the words of Pericles who delivered a funeral oration that paid tribute to his men.
" I would have you day by day fix your eyes upon the greatness of Athens, until you become filled with the love of her; and when you are impressed by the spectacle of her glory, reflect that this empire has been acquired by men who knew their duty and had the courage to do it, who in the hour of conflict had the fear of dishonor always present to them, and who, if ever they failed in an enterprise, would not allow their virtues to be lost to their country, but freely gave their lives to her as the fairest offering which they could present at her feast.
The sacrifice which they collectively made was individually repaid to them; for they received again each one for himself a praise which grows not old, and the noblest of all tombs, I speak not of that in which their remains are laid, but of that in which their glory survives, and is proclaimed always and on every fitting occasion both in word and deed. For the whole earth is the tomb of famous men; not only are they commemorated by columns and inscriptions in their own country, but in foreign lands there dwells also an unwritten memorial of them, graven not on stone but in the hearts of men."Pericles - In tribute to his soldiers after first battles of the Peloponnesian war
Rest Easy CAP, we have the watch. Fair Winds and Following Seas.
Today's Military - " what we ask them to do, for short money and little thanks, they are pretty great themselves."
On many occasions, I need to post another person's words as there is no way for me to add or improve what has been said on a specific subject.
This is one of those occasions. Great job by Kevin Cullen
Greg Pizzute was driving his daughters home from a dentist appointment last week. The road from Savannah back to Fort Stewart in Georgia is straight and he kept his eyes trained in that direction, straight ahead, not wavering.
His wife, Brandie, sat next to him. Two of his daughters, Kayleigh and Bella, sat in the back seat, watching a “Cinderella’’ DVD, blissfully unaware of what their father was thinking.
“It struck me,” Greg Pizzute was saying. “Here I am, with my wife and kids, and my eyes are locked, straight ahead. And in a few days, I’ll be in a Humvee and my eyes will be everywhere. Left, right, center, back. I’ll be looking everywhere. My head will be on a swivel. Because you have to. That’s how you stay alive.”
Army Staff Sergeant Greg Pizzute left his wife and three daughters the other day and boarded a plane that took him to a god forsaken part of Afghanistan, hard by the Pakistan border. The Tangi Valley is where he will spend the next nine months, his third combat tour in five years.
He is not complaining, because he is a soldier, a leader of men, and this is what he does. But this war has gone on so long, at so much cost, and with so few Americans invested in it, that Greg Pizzute’s story needs to be told if only that we all pause and put aside our petty distractions and remember that we have consigned a generation of brave and honorable young people to war without end.
Staff Sergeant Greg Pizzute is a weapons squad leader in the First Platoon, Fourth Brigade of the Third Infantry division. There are eight men under his command, ranging in age from 19 to 33.
Frankly, most of them are kids. Pizzute himself is 28, practically an old man by Army standards.
“On the ground,” he said, “I think about my guys, not myself. That doesn’t make me special. That’s how the Army trained me. I would rather I get hurt than they get hurt. It’s real. It’s not a cliche. I would rather get killed than the guy standing next to me gets killed. I don’t want that guilt. What we do in combat is the true meaning of brotherhood. I would take a bullet for any of my guys. And I know they would do the same for me. That’s how you survive war.”
He did two tours of Iraq. At first, he was a bit cynical. The Iraqis seemed so intent on fighting their own byzantine battles. But, with time, things changed.
“The difference between my first tour and my second tour was huge,” he said. “The second tour, the Iraqis were actually nice to us. They realized we weren’t staying around, that we just wanted to help and get out of there.”
But Afghanistan is another story, another world, another century.
“The Taliban are so different from Al Qaeda,” he said. “They are much more respected where we’re going, so much part of the social fabric. The Iraqis didn’t like Al Qaeda because they saw them for what they are. The Taliban, in Afghanistan, have been fighting, in one form or another, for 2,000 years and they’ve never been defeated. The Taliban have much more influence over villagers, through intimidation or outright violence, or just the ability to influence people who have no access to the Internet or the outside world by claiming that Americans are horrible people. You go into a village and think you have a rapport with the elders, and the next day you’re blown up.”
Pizzute’s antidote to the Taliban is not complicated.
“I treat people the way I want to be treated,” he said. “With respect. I will respect their traditions and values, their culture. I just want the same in return.”
He is under no illusions. On this tour, which is supposed to be one of the last of this interminable war, he needs to worry as much about his avowed allies as his avowed enemies. Green on blue, they call it, when a member of the Afghan national police or army turn on their American trainers.
'
“We just need to keep an eye open,” Pizzute said. “Most of the Afghans in the police and army are great guys. They want the same thing as we do. We want them to do well. We want them to take responsibility for the security of their own country. For me, it’s important that we complete this mission, and leave the Afghan people with a well-trained, competent army and police force. I don’t want all my brothers who have died in combat over the last 12 years to have died for nothing.”
I asked him if he ever tallied up the numbers. The brothers who have died or lost a limb overseas or part of their mind back home.
“I don’t keep a list,” he said. “Those guys are in my heart, but they’re not in my head because I can’t think like that when I’m in a combat situation. That wouldn’t be fair to the guys in my squad. I remember one of my commanders said to me, after we got hit by an IED in Iraq, ‘You have 24 hours to be upset, and then you’re going back out.’ The best way to honor my brothers who died or got hurt is to keep my guys safe and complete the mission.”
At any given time in the last decade less than one percent of Americans served in the military, a decade of perpetual war. When is the last time you thought about the war, or the sacrifice that comes with it? Like so many other soldiers, Greg Pizzute’s sacrifice is measured not by the days in combat so much as the days away from his wife and three daughters.
“The hardest part is leaving my wife and kids for a third time,” he said. “Brandie is my rock. I can’t do it without her. She keeps it good on the home front. It’s like she’s deploying too. I feel military wives should be appreciated more than they are. They might not be getting shot at, but they’re getting screamed at by little kids and they have no one to help them.”
He watched one of his daughters being born, via Skype, from Iraq. The girls range in age, and in comprehension. Bella is 2, Kayleigh is 4, and they only know that daddy got on a plane. Noelle is 11, sharp as a tack, and she knew this day was coming. A few months ago, she talked to a Santa at the mall and she told him that all she wanted for Christmas was for her dad not to go to Afghanistan.
But, again, he is not complaining. He is a soldier and this is what soldiers do. They will be turning the lights off when, God willing, Greg Pizzute returns from this combat mission. Most of the soldiers under his command will leave the Army. He will not.
“I had some troubled teenage years,” he said. “I was a mess. The Army gave me a chance. Not only to do something for myself, but to do something bigger than myself. And I didn’t understand that until I saw combat. The Army made me a better man, a better husband, a better father. It changed my life. I didn’t go to college. I went to the university of combat. And I saw some of my brothers die, and I saw some of my brothers get badly hurt, and I want to keep serving for those who couldn’t keep serving.”
The only reason I know all this is that Greg Pizzute is my nephew. I have skin in this game. I cradled him in my arms when he was a few months old. I took him on the swan boats in the Public Garden when he was a little boy and I’ll never forget his smile when his aunt — my wife — let him sit on one of the “Make Way for Ducklings’’ statues. I worried for him in his wayward teens, and I marvel at him now, because he is everything you would want in a young man. He is a loving husband, a wonderful father. And yet he is at his core a soldier, a leader of men, and I will think of him and his squad every day for the next nine months.
I would ask that you do also. There is no doubt that those who fought fascism in the 1940s were the greatest generation.
But these kids today, what we ask them to do, for short money and little thanks, they are pretty great themselves. We honor them by remembering that, and remembering them.
Greg Pizzute climbed into an armored vehicle today. He looked all around. Front, back, side to side. He is a soldier. And this is how soldiers survive
This is one of those occasions. Great job by Kevin Cullen
In a war that few take note of, they soldier on
Pizzute family
Army Staff Sergeant Greg Pizzute, with daughters Kayleigh, 4; Bella, 2; and Noelle, 11.His wife, Brandie, sat next to him. Two of his daughters, Kayleigh and Bella, sat in the back seat, watching a “Cinderella’’ DVD, blissfully unaware of what their father was thinking.
“It struck me,” Greg Pizzute was saying. “Here I am, with my wife and kids, and my eyes are locked, straight ahead. And in a few days, I’ll be in a Humvee and my eyes will be everywhere. Left, right, center, back. I’ll be looking everywhere. My head will be on a swivel. Because you have to. That’s how you stay alive.”
Army Staff Sergeant Greg Pizzute left his wife and three daughters the other day and boarded a plane that took him to a god forsaken part of Afghanistan, hard by the Pakistan border. The Tangi Valley is where he will spend the next nine months, his third combat tour in five years.
‘The best way to honor my brothers who died or got hurt is to keep my guys safe and complete the mission.’
Frankly, most of them are kids. Pizzute himself is 28, practically an old man by Army standards.
Pizzute family
Sergeant Greg Pizzute with his wife, Brandie. Pizzute is on his third combat tour, this one in Afghanistan.“On the ground,” he said, “I think about my guys, not myself. That doesn’t make me special. That’s how the Army trained me. I would rather I get hurt than they get hurt. It’s real. It’s not a cliche. I would rather get killed than the guy standing next to me gets killed. I don’t want that guilt. What we do in combat is the true meaning of brotherhood. I would take a bullet for any of my guys. And I know they would do the same for me. That’s how you survive war.”
He did two tours of Iraq. At first, he was a bit cynical. The Iraqis seemed so intent on fighting their own byzantine battles. But, with time, things changed.
“The difference between my first tour and my second tour was huge,” he said. “The second tour, the Iraqis were actually nice to us. They realized we weren’t staying around, that we just wanted to help and get out of there.”
But Afghanistan is another story, another world, another century.
“The Taliban are so different from Al Qaeda,” he said. “They are much more respected where we’re going, so much part of the social fabric. The Iraqis didn’t like Al Qaeda because they saw them for what they are. The Taliban, in Afghanistan, have been fighting, in one form or another, for 2,000 years and they’ve never been defeated. The Taliban have much more influence over villagers, through intimidation or outright violence, or just the ability to influence people who have no access to the Internet or the outside world by claiming that Americans are horrible people. You go into a village and think you have a rapport with the elders, and the next day you’re blown up.”
Pizzute’s antidote to the Taliban is not complicated.
“I treat people the way I want to be treated,” he said. “With respect. I will respect their traditions and values, their culture. I just want the same in return.”
He is under no illusions. On this tour, which is supposed to be one of the last of this interminable war, he needs to worry as much about his avowed allies as his avowed enemies. Green on blue, they call it, when a member of the Afghan national police or army turn on their American trainers.
'
“We just need to keep an eye open,” Pizzute said. “Most of the Afghans in the police and army are great guys. They want the same thing as we do. We want them to do well. We want them to take responsibility for the security of their own country. For me, it’s important that we complete this mission, and leave the Afghan people with a well-trained, competent army and police force. I don’t want all my brothers who have died in combat over the last 12 years to have died for nothing.”
I asked him if he ever tallied up the numbers. The brothers who have died or lost a limb overseas or part of their mind back home.
“I don’t keep a list,” he said. “Those guys are in my heart, but they’re not in my head because I can’t think like that when I’m in a combat situation. That wouldn’t be fair to the guys in my squad. I remember one of my commanders said to me, after we got hit by an IED in Iraq, ‘You have 24 hours to be upset, and then you’re going back out.’ The best way to honor my brothers who died or got hurt is to keep my guys safe and complete the mission.”
At any given time in the last decade less than one percent of Americans served in the military, a decade of perpetual war. When is the last time you thought about the war, or the sacrifice that comes with it? Like so many other soldiers, Greg Pizzute’s sacrifice is measured not by the days in combat so much as the days away from his wife and three daughters.
“The hardest part is leaving my wife and kids for a third time,” he said. “Brandie is my rock. I can’t do it without her. She keeps it good on the home front. It’s like she’s deploying too. I feel military wives should be appreciated more than they are. They might not be getting shot at, but they’re getting screamed at by little kids and they have no one to help them.”
He watched one of his daughters being born, via Skype, from Iraq. The girls range in age, and in comprehension. Bella is 2, Kayleigh is 4, and they only know that daddy got on a plane. Noelle is 11, sharp as a tack, and she knew this day was coming. A few months ago, she talked to a Santa at the mall and she told him that all she wanted for Christmas was for her dad not to go to Afghanistan.
But, again, he is not complaining. He is a soldier and this is what soldiers do. They will be turning the lights off when, God willing, Greg Pizzute returns from this combat mission. Most of the soldiers under his command will leave the Army. He will not.
“I had some troubled teenage years,” he said. “I was a mess. The Army gave me a chance. Not only to do something for myself, but to do something bigger than myself. And I didn’t understand that until I saw combat. The Army made me a better man, a better husband, a better father. It changed my life. I didn’t go to college. I went to the university of combat. And I saw some of my brothers die, and I saw some of my brothers get badly hurt, and I want to keep serving for those who couldn’t keep serving.”
The only reason I know all this is that Greg Pizzute is my nephew. I have skin in this game. I cradled him in my arms when he was a few months old. I took him on the swan boats in the Public Garden when he was a little boy and I’ll never forget his smile when his aunt — my wife — let him sit on one of the “Make Way for Ducklings’’ statues. I worried for him in his wayward teens, and I marvel at him now, because he is everything you would want in a young man. He is a loving husband, a wonderful father. And yet he is at his core a soldier, a leader of men, and I will think of him and his squad every day for the next nine months.
I would ask that you do also. There is no doubt that those who fought fascism in the 1940s were the greatest generation.
But these kids today, what we ask them to do, for short money and little thanks, they are pretty great themselves. We honor them by remembering that, and remembering them.
Greg Pizzute climbed into an armored vehicle today. He looked all around. Front, back, side to side. He is a soldier. And this is how soldiers survive
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Warrior Ethos
Tell me I can't and I'll show you I can twitter.com/SEALofHonor/st…
— SEALofHonor (@SEALofHonor) March 2, 2013
Thursday, February 28, 2013
MURPH: The Protector.....a must see movie
This is one movie that the BS Media will likely pan/ignore which means it will be awesome for those who appreciate all that our US Navy SEALs do each and every day.
Bravo Zulu to our US NAVY, those who stand the watch for our country, the US Navy SEALs and those who are bringing us the story of MURPH: the Protector.
Regal Entertainment Group Presents Exclusive Release of MURPH: The Protector
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC), a leading motion picture exhibitor owning and operating the largest theatre circuit in the United States, is proud to offer moviegoers the opportunity to see MURPH: The Protector, a feature documentary based on the extraordinary life of fallen SEAL LT Michael Murphy, beginning Friday, March 22nd, 2013, exclusively at Regal Entertainment Group Theatres.
MURPH: The Protector is a moving profile of LT Murphy’s entire life of honor, courage and commitment, as told by his friends, family and teammates. Michael was raised in Patchogue, New York, attended Penn State University and then joined the U.S. Navy to serve in the SEAL Teams. He gave his life for his men in 2005 and was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 2007.
“The Regal team understands how this film will connect with moviegoers across the country,” said Scott Mactavish, the film’s director. “It’s critical that we honor and remember those that have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms, and Regal recognizes that there’s an audience eager to hear this story. We’re honored to call them partners.”
A portion of the proceeds from the film will go to the LT Michael P. Murphy Memorial Scholarship Foundation. Formed by LT Murphy’s family in August 2005, the Foundation was given New York Department of Education approval and incorporated in New York. The Foundation was granted IRS tax-exempt status as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation with the expressed written purpose of providing academic scholarships.
MURPH: The Protector premieres on March 22nd, 2013, exclusively at the following Regal Entertainment Group Theatres. Tickets are available at the individual theatre box offices and online at REGmovies.com
Bravo Zulu to our US NAVY, those who stand the watch for our country, the US Navy SEALs and those who are bringing us the story of MURPH: the Protector.
Regal Entertainment Group Presents Exclusive Release of MURPH: The Protector
Published: February 27, 2013 www.heraldonline.com
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC), a leading motion picture exhibitor owning and operating the largest theatre circuit in the United States, is proud to offer moviegoers the opportunity to see MURPH: The Protector, a feature documentary based on the extraordinary life of fallen SEAL LT Michael Murphy, beginning Friday, March 22nd, 2013, exclusively at Regal Entertainment Group Theatres.MURPH: The Protector is a moving profile of LT Murphy’s entire life of honor, courage and commitment, as told by his friends, family and teammates. Michael was raised in Patchogue, New York, attended Penn State University and then joined the U.S. Navy to serve in the SEAL Teams. He gave his life for his men in 2005 and was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 2007.
“The Regal team understands how this film will connect with moviegoers across the country,” said Scott Mactavish, the film’s director. “It’s critical that we honor and remember those that have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms, and Regal recognizes that there’s an audience eager to hear this story. We’re honored to call them partners.”
A portion of the proceeds from the film will go to the LT Michael P. Murphy Memorial Scholarship Foundation. Formed by LT Murphy’s family in August 2005, the Foundation was given New York Department of Education approval and incorporated in New York. The Foundation was granted IRS tax-exempt status as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation with the expressed written purpose of providing academic scholarships.
MURPH: The Protector premieres on March 22nd, 2013, exclusively at the following Regal Entertainment Group Theatres. Tickets are available at the individual theatre box offices and online at REGmovies.com
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
White House may leave no US Troops in Afghanistan past 2014
REALLY ?? The White House and the idiot-in-charge are clueless -
They will allow the Taliban bastards with guns to come back and brutalize the populace.
History will judge the Obama White House as the one that surrendered to the terrorists and put people in harm's way. Drone strikes are good but you need to maintain a small force here if we are to support stability. US Boots on the ground are required.
The depth of ignorance displayed by the White House is as deep as the depth of debt he is ringing up. The President and his administrations are a clear & present danger to our national security.
US may leave no troops in Afghanistan, officials say
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/01/08/officials-us-may-leave-no-troops-in-afghanistan/?test=latestnews#ixzz2HRQ18yhV
They will allow the Taliban bastards with guns to come back and brutalize the populace.
History will judge the Obama White House as the one that surrendered to the terrorists and put people in harm's way. Drone strikes are good but you need to maintain a small force here if we are to support stability. US Boots on the ground are required.
The depth of ignorance displayed by the White House is as deep as the depth of debt he is ringing up. The President and his administrations are a clear & present danger to our national security.
US may leave no troops in Afghanistan, officials say
January 08, 2013
Associated Press
WASHINGTON – Administration officials said publicly for the first time Tuesday that the U.S. might leave no American troops in Afghanistan after the end of combat in December 2014, an option that defies the view of Pentagon officials who say thousands of U.S. troops could be needed there to keep a lid on Al Qaeda and to strengthen the Afghan army and police.
"The U.S. does not have an inherent objective of `X' number of troops in Afghanistan," said Ben Rhodes, a White House deputy national security adviser. "We have an objective of making sure there is no safe haven for Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and making sure that the Afghan government has a security force that is sufficient to ensure the stability of the Afghan government."
The U.S. now has 66,000 troops in Afghanistan, down from a peak of about 100,000 as recently as 2010.
Administration officials in recent days have said they are considering a range of options for a residual U.S. troop presence after 2014, from as few as 3,000 to as many as 15,000, with the number linked to a specific set of military-related missions.
Asked in a conference call with reporters whether zero was now an option, Rhodes said, "That would be an option we would consider."
His statement comes just three days before Afghan President Hamid Karzai is scheduled to meet President Barack Obama at the White House to discuss ways of framing an enduring partnership beyond 2014. The two are at odds on numerous issues, including a U.S. demand that any American troops who would remain in Afghanistan after the combat mission ends be granted immunity from prosecution under Afghan laws. Karzai has resisted, while emphasizing his interest in getting large-scale U.S. support to maintain an effective security force after 2014.
Without explicitly mentioning immunity, Obama's top White House military adviser on Afghanistan, Doug Lute, told reporters Tuesday that the Afghans will have to give the U.S. certain "authorities" if it wants U.S. troops to remain.
"As we know from our Iraq experience, if there are no authorities granted by the sovereign state, then there's not room for a follow-on U.S. military mission," Lute said. He was referring to 2011 negotiations with Iraq that ended with no agreement to grant legal immunity to U.S. troops who would have stayed to help train Iraqi forces. As a result, no U.S. troops remain in Iraq.
Rhodes said Obama is focused on two main outcomes in Afghanistan: ensuring that the country does not revert to being the al-Qaida haven it was prior to Sept. 11, 2001, and getting the government to the point where it can stand on its own.
"That's what guides us, and that's what causes us to look for different potential troop numbers -- or not having potential troops in the country," Rhodes said
"The U.S. does not have an inherent objective of `X' number of troops in Afghanistan," said Ben Rhodes, a White House deputy national security adviser. "We have an objective of making sure there is no safe haven for Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and making sure that the Afghan government has a security force that is sufficient to ensure the stability of the Afghan government."
The U.S. now has 66,000 troops in Afghanistan, down from a peak of about 100,000 as recently as 2010.
Administration officials in recent days have said they are considering a range of options for a residual U.S. troop presence after 2014, from as few as 3,000 to as many as 15,000, with the number linked to a specific set of military-related missions.
Asked in a conference call with reporters whether zero was now an option, Rhodes said, "That would be an option we would consider."
His statement comes just three days before Afghan President Hamid Karzai is scheduled to meet President Barack Obama at the White House to discuss ways of framing an enduring partnership beyond 2014. The two are at odds on numerous issues, including a U.S. demand that any American troops who would remain in Afghanistan after the combat mission ends be granted immunity from prosecution under Afghan laws. Karzai has resisted, while emphasizing his interest in getting large-scale U.S. support to maintain an effective security force after 2014.
Without explicitly mentioning immunity, Obama's top White House military adviser on Afghanistan, Doug Lute, told reporters Tuesday that the Afghans will have to give the U.S. certain "authorities" if it wants U.S. troops to remain.
"As we know from our Iraq experience, if there are no authorities granted by the sovereign state, then there's not room for a follow-on U.S. military mission," Lute said. He was referring to 2011 negotiations with Iraq that ended with no agreement to grant legal immunity to U.S. troops who would have stayed to help train Iraqi forces. As a result, no U.S. troops remain in Iraq.
Rhodes said Obama is focused on two main outcomes in Afghanistan: ensuring that the country does not revert to being the al-Qaida haven it was prior to Sept. 11, 2001, and getting the government to the point where it can stand on its own.
"That's what guides us, and that's what causes us to look for different potential troop numbers -- or not having potential troops in the country," Rhodes said
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/01/08/officials-us-may-leave-no-troops-in-afghanistan/?test=latestnews#ixzz2HRQ18yhV
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Letter from an airline pilot
Having worked for an airline, one that was not very well managed, I can tell you that there are many hard working people staffing the airlines, dealing with millions of passengers who need to fly each day.Here's a letter from a Pilot that shows how they take extra care when it really matters.
Letter
from an airline pilot:
He writes: My lead flight attendant came to me and said, "We have an H.R. On this flight." (H.R. Stands for human remains.) "Are they military?" I asked.
'Yes', she said.
'Is there an escort?' I asked.
'Yes, I already assigned him a seat'.
'Would you please tell him to come to the flight deck. You can board him early," I said..
A short while later, a young army sergeant entered the flight deck. He was the image of the perfectly dressed soldier. He introduced himself and I asked him about his soldier. The escorts of these fallen soldiers talk about them as if they are still alive and still with us.
'My soldier is on his way back to Virginia,' he said. He proceeded to answer my questions, but offered no words.
I asked him if there was anything I could do for him and he said no. I told him that he had the toughest job in the military and that I appreciated the work that he does for the families of our fallen soldiers. The first officer and I got up out of our seats to shake his hand. He left the flight deck to find his seat.
We completed our pre-flight checks, pushed back and performed an uneventful departure. About 30 minutes into our flight I received a call from the lead flight attendant in the cabin. 'I just found out the family of the soldier we are carrying, is on board', she said. She then proceeded to tell me that the father, mother, wife and 2-year old daughter were escorting their son, husband, and father home. The family was upset because they were unable to see the container that the soldier was in before we left. We were on our way to a major hub at which the family was going to wait four hours for the connecting flight home to Virginia .
The father of the soldier told the flight attendant that knowing his son was below him in the cargo compartment and being unable to see him was too much for him and the family to bear. He had asked the flight attendant if there was anything that could be done to allow them to see him upon our arrival. The family wanted to be outside by the cargo door to watch the soldier being taken off the airplane. I could hear the desperation in the flight attendants voice when she asked me if there was anything I could do. 'I'm on it', I said. I told her that I would get back to her.
Airborne communication with my company normally occurs in the form of e-mail like messages. I decided to bypass this system and contact my flight dispatcher directly on a
Secondary radio. There is a radio operator in the operations control center who connects you to the telephone of the dispatcher. I was in direct contact with the dispatcher. I explained the situation I had on board with the family and what it was the family wanted. He said he understood and that he would get back to me.
Two hours went by and I had not heard from the dispatcher. We were going to get busy soon and I needed to know what to tell the family. I sent a text message asking for an update. I saved the return message from the dispatcher and the following is the text:
'Captain, sorry it has taken so long to get back to you. There is policy on this now and I had to check on a few things. Upon your arrival a dedicated escort team will meet the aircraft.
The team will escort the family to the ramp and plane side. A van will be used to load the remains with a secondary van for the family. The family will be taken to their departure area and escorted into the terminal where the remains can be seen on the ramp. It is a private area for the family only. When the connecting aircraft arrives, the family will be escorted onto the ramp and plane side to watch the remains being loaded for the final leg home. Captain, most of us here in flight control are veterans.. Please pass our condolences on to the family. Thanks.'
I sent a message back telling flight control thanks for a good job. I printed out the message and gave it to the lead flight attendant to pass on to the father. The lead flight attendant was very thankful and told me, 'You have no idea how much this will mean to them.'
Things started getting busy for the descent, approach and landing. After landing, we cleared the runway and taxied to the ramp area. The ramp is huge with 15 gates on either side of the alleyway. It is always a busy area with aircraft maneuvering every which way to enter and exit. When we entered the ramp and checked in with the ramp controller, we were told
that all traffic was being held for us.
'There is a team in place to meet the aircraft', we were told. It looked like it was all coming together, then I realized that once we turned the seat belt sign off, everyone would stand up at once and delay the family from getting off the airplane. As we approached our gate, I asked the co-pilot to tell the ramp controller we were going to stop short of the gate to
make an announcement to the passengers. He did that and the ramp controller said, 'Take your time.'
I stopped the aircraft and set the parking brake. I pushed the public address button and said, 'Ladies and gentleman, this is your Captain speaking I have stopped short of our gate to make a special announcement. We have a passenger on board who deserves our honor and respect. His Name is Private XXXXXX, a soldier who recently lost his life. Private XXXXXX is under your feet in the cargo hold. Escorting him today is Army Sergeant XXXXXXX. Also, on board are his father, mother, wife, and daughter. Your entire flight crew is asking for all passengers to remain in their seats to allow the family to exit the aircraft first. Thank you.'
We continued the turn to the gate, came to a stop and started our shutdown procedures. A couple of minutes later I opened the cockpit door. I found the two forward flight attendants crying, something you just do not see. I was told that after we came to a stop, every passenger on the aircraft stayed in their seats, waiting for the family to exit the aircraft.
When the family got up and gathered their things, a passenger slowly started to clap his hands. Moments later more passengers joined in and soon the entire aircraft was
clapping. Words of 'God Bless You', I'm sorry, thank you, be proud, and other kind words were uttered to the family as they made their way down the aisle and out of the airplane.
They were escorted down to the ramp to finally be with their loved one.
Many of the passengers disembarking thanked me for the announcement I had made. They were just words, I told them, I could say them over and over again, but nothing I say will bring back that brave soldier.
I respectfully ask that all of you reflect on this event and the sacrifices that millions of our men and women have made to ensure our freedom and safety in these United States of AMERICA
Foot note:
I know everyone who has served their country who reads this will have tears in their eyes, including me.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
The New England Patriots honor our Veterans
The New England Patriots are the Class Act in the NFL....They demonstrate it each and every day, especially when it comes to showing appreciation for our Veterans.
Pretty cool gesture by the Patriots, setting up this empty seat to honor the sacrifices of those in our military ... twitter.com/AlbertBreer/st…
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) November 11, 2012
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Paul Monti of Raynham leads volunteers planting US Flags at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne
Bravo Zulu to Paul Monti and all the volunteers who made this effort to honor our Veterans.
Mass. Residents Plant Flags To Honor Veterans
BOURNE, Mass. — Hundreds of relatives and well-wishers on Saturday honored the country’s military veterans by planting about 56,000 flags at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne, transforming the green landscape into a sea of small fluttering red, white and blue banners.
Cemetery policies did not permit flags and flag holders on graves until last fall. The first flags were planted following pressure from Paul Monti of Raynham, whose son was killed by Taliban fighters in Afghanistan while trying to save a fellow soldier in 2006. Sgt. 1st Class Jared Monti was awarded the Medal of Honor for his valor and is buried in Bourne.
Paul Monti led a brief ceremony Saturday at the cemetery, where volunteers including Cub Scouts and Gold Star Mothers recited the pledge of allegiance, listened to a dedication and sang the national anthem.
They then fanned out and worked for about an hour, with some armed with screwdrivers to drill holes in the ground before planting the flags at the gravesites. Some lingered to search for the burial sites of relatives or loved ones.
Monti had help from political leaders in changing the cemetery’s policy, but the group he leads pays for the project through fundraisers. Volunteers will return to the cemetery next Sunday to remove the flags.
Monti has said the flags are a personal tribute to his son and fellow soldiers killed in service of their country.
Mass. Residents Plant Flags To Honor Veterans
Jason Machado, of Fairhaven, Mass., walks among U.S. flags at the graves of deceased veterans at the National Cemetery in Bourne, Mass., Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012. (Gretchen Ertl/AP)
BOURNE, Mass. — Hundreds of relatives and well-wishers on Saturday honored the country’s military veterans by planting about 56,000 flags at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne, transforming the green landscape into a sea of small fluttering red, white and blue banners.
Cemetery policies did not permit flags and flag holders on graves until last fall. The first flags were planted following pressure from Paul Monti of Raynham, whose son was killed by Taliban fighters in Afghanistan while trying to save a fellow soldier in 2006. Sgt. 1st Class Jared Monti was awarded the Medal of Honor for his valor and is buried in Bourne.
Paul Monti led a brief ceremony Saturday at the cemetery, where volunteers including Cub Scouts and Gold Star Mothers recited the pledge of allegiance, listened to a dedication and sang the national anthem.
They then fanned out and worked for about an hour, with some armed with screwdrivers to drill holes in the ground before planting the flags at the gravesites. Some lingered to search for the burial sites of relatives or loved ones.
Monti had help from political leaders in changing the cemetery’s policy, but the group he leads pays for the project through fundraisers. Volunteers will return to the cemetery next Sunday to remove the flags.
Monti has said the flags are a personal tribute to his son and fellow soldiers killed in service of their country.
Some Must Go To Fight The Dragons / Veteran's Day November 11th
This is the first Veteran's Day I will spend in Afghanistan. I have been here off and on for a number of years, but I was always home on this important day. I spent Veteran's Day in Iraq in 2004, but not one here until this year.
A while back, I put out the enclosed post. It seemed relevant then, and even more have so now. Our Veterans are the TRUE 1% as only one percent of our citizens serve in the military and defend our great land.
Please take time from your busy life to attend a Veteran's Day ceremony in your community and next time you meet a Veteran, let him/her know how much you appreciate all they have done for our country.
" Some Must Go To Fight The Dragons".....Indeed. God Bless them and their families.
Some Must Go To Fight The Dragons
A while back, I put out the enclosed post. It seemed relevant then, and even more have so now. Our Veterans are the TRUE 1% as only one percent of our citizens serve in the military and defend our great land.
Please take time from your busy life to attend a Veteran's Day ceremony in your community and next time you meet a Veteran, let him/her know how much you appreciate all they have done for our country.
" Some Must Go To Fight The Dragons".....Indeed. God Bless them and their families.
Some Must Go To Fight The Dragons
I am writing this blog from the midst of
Helmand Province, Afghanistan at Camp Leatherneck. The casual observer will note
that the relation of the facts here and what is put out via the " Established
Media" are two vastly different things.
I recently ordered a book titled " The
Blogs of War" which is an account of War Blogs from Iraq & Afghanistan. War
Blogs have provided an avenue of unfettered information on what happened here
and in Iraq since 2001.
The book starts with Chapter 1, titled "
Some Must Go To Fight the Dragons". It is a perfect metaphor as
in our country, only some go and fight the Dragons. The rest sit in comfort and
watch the effort from the sidelines while some political types try to adjust the
battle from the far side of the world with a 7500 mile long screw
driver....
Either way, the account is a must-read to
give the reader a greater sense of what it is like to be under fire on the field
of battle and what our warriors go through.
As part of the book, the author quotes a
famous speech given by the Athenian leader Pericles after the first battles of
the Peloponesian war. We need to ensure that our country remembers why we have
Freedom in this day - It is because " Some Must Go Fight The
Dragons..."
I am humbled to be among those who have
gone & fought the Dragons. My present status is acting in prime support of
the Dragon-Fighters, and I share the AOR with them each day.....it is a singular
privilege and one of the great perks here.....to be among such great Men &
Women each day.
A quote from
Pericles' Funeral Oration
" I would have you day by day fix your
eyes upon the greatness of Athens, until you become filled with the love of her;
and when you are impressed by the spectacle of her glory, reflect that this
empire has been acquired by men who knew their duty and had the courage to do
it, who in the hour of conflict had the fear of dishonor always present to them,
and who, if ever they failed in an enterprise, would not allow their virtues to
be lost to their country, but freely gave their lives to her as the fairest
offering which they could present at her feast.
The sacrifice which they collectively made
was individually repaid to them; for they received again each one for himself a
praise which grows not old, and the noblest of all tombs, I speak not of that in
which their remains are laid, but of that in which their glory survives, and is
proclaimed always and on every fitting occasion both in word and deed. For the
whole earth is the tomb of famous men; not only are they commemorated by columns
and inscriptions in their own country, but in foreign lands there dwells also an
unwritten memorial of them, graven not on stone but in the hearts of men.
Monday, November 5, 2012
500 Military Officers can't be wrong.....
THIS Speaks volumes. Veterans take note. Vote and make your voice count.
RomneyMACad--500final4NOV2012
RomneyMACad--500final4NOV2012
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Only vets need apply - Franchise Opportunity for VETS only is a great idea
BRAVO ZULU ! ( Navy speak for " Job Well Done ! " )
Only vets need apply: New company offers franchises exclusively to ex-military By Bill Briggs, NBC News contributor
You might view Jerry Flanagan’s entrepreneurial vision for jobless veterans as junk economics. That’s fine. He certainly sees it that way.
The Army veteran has launched what he says is the first company to offer former service members — and only former service members — a chance to buy one of his fledgling franchises. The business: hauling away people’s unwanted appliances, furniture and other household rubbish. In crude terms, junk removal.
Before you trash his plan, listen to Flanagan’s strategy to tidy up the 10.9 percent unemployment rate that’s been dogging post-Sept. 11 veterans (as compared to the 8.1 percent rate afflicting the rest of the nation in August).
“Offering the franchises only to military veterans gives them the opportunity to know, ‘In this program, I don’t have to compete against this guy who has a college degree or against that guy who just went to business school.’ Right now, these people need a leg up,” said Flanagan, who served in the U.S. Army from 1987 to 1989.
“So many veterans are going to be hitting the work force by 2014. I asked myself, ‘How can we put them back to work?’ They’ll be owning their own businesses and hopefully they’ll be hiring other veterans.”
He calls his enterprise JDog Junk Removal. The tasks, territorial duties, and even the logo are purposely intended to carry a military feel, a welcome-home gift, Flanagan said, for ambitious veterans with at least $15,000 to invest. That’s the cost to buy a franchise.
The fee — plus adequate credit to lease or finance a hauling trailer plus either a green H2 Hummer or Jeep Wrangler Rubicon (the only allowable vehicles, each painted with JDog’s trademarked bulldog emblem plus a local phone number) — puts veterans in the driver’s seat to self-employment, Flanagan said.
“I know there are these guys and women coming back, and if they’re jumping into a big, military-style vehicle, if they have some space, I think it helps with the transition,” Flanagan said.
Each franchisee will be assigned his or her own exclusive market — amid population pockets of at least 75,000 people — as well as a social networking push from corporate headquarters, local leads generated by the company website, and advice on peddling the service to area real estate firms, warehouses, commercial properties, churches and senior living facilities.
“There’s no office, no retail space to lease, and within 90 days, you’re booking jobs,” Flanagan said. “I’ve spent the past 17 months building his concept. But I also wanted to keep it simple. A lot of veterans are going to step right in and follow the system, just like they followed the system in the military every day. Veterans are the best qualified franchisees out there because they’re used to following orders.”
Flanagan saved one niche for disabled veterans: They can buy a franchise and hire one or two muscled-up pals to do the heavy lifting while the veterans run the businesses on their mobile devices.
“The cash flow is immediate because you’re paid on the spot. You go out and do four or five jobs that day, and you average $200 to $300 per job because I’ve structured the margins very well,” he added. “I started studying this (business sector) during the recession — junk removal was one of the few areas that did better after 2008. That’s what drew my attention. There’s junk in every state. There are military veterans in every state.
“We’re getting good feedback from the entire (salvage) industry that once veterans — and active duty members who are about to come home — get their heads around what I’m doing, we’re going to have a large turnout interested in franchises,” added Flanagan, who is based in Wayne, Pa. “I want 300 to 500 of these units up in 10 years. Of course, I could be underselling myself there. We could have 10 just in Long Island. We could have 50 in Texas." According to the International Franchise Association in Washington, D.C., the only other American franchisor that offers buy-in opportunities solely to former service members is an outfit called Veteran Tech Brigade, which supplies IT services. Kelly Crigger, co-founder and CEO of Veteran Tech Brigade said, however, that his company is aiming for an 80 percent veteran-owned franchise rate. (Veteran Tech Brigade currently is vetting its first potential franchisees — two veterans, both residing in Florida). The company mainly does government contracting and business-to-business IT consulting. “But that’s why we started this company — to put a dent in the unemployment rate for veterans,” said Crigger, a retired Army lieutenant colonel who served in Afghanistan. “We have 25 veterans now doing IT consulting. “Especially when you consider the immense responsibility levels many veterans had while in combat, you would think” scores of companies would be clamoring for their skills, Crigger said. “I remember one guy told me: ‘Over in Iraq, my responsibility was kicking doors in all day, looking for the enemy. But I get back here and I can’t even get a job laying cement’
Thursday, September 13, 2012
US Navy SEAL from Massachusetts dies at US Consulate in Benghazi
Former Navy SEAL identified as consulate attack victim - FoxNews.com
Glen Doherty, a former Navy SEAL from Massachusetts, was one of the victims of the deadly attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, a family friend confirmed to Fox News.
Doherty is the latest victim to be identified. The U.S. government earlier confirmed that U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens and Sean Smith, a foreign service information management officer, died in the attack.
The name of the fourth American who died in the attack has not been disclosed.
The Boston Globe first reported that Doherty was among the victims. His sister told the Globe that Doherty, 42, was working for a private company providing security at the time.
A former ski instructor in Utah, Doherty reportedly trained as a sniper and medical officer after joining the Navy SEALs. He served for seven years before leaving to work at the private security firm.
According to FOX5 in San Diego, Doherty lived in Encintas, Calif., after leaving the Navy. He worked at the CrossFIT/SEALFIT gym as well as security firms.
Based on an account of the Benghazi attack provided by senior administration officials, Doherty was one of two people who died while trying to take cover from gunfire in the annex near the main U.S. consulate building. At least three others were wounded in the attack.
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Mother of a Fallen US Navy SEAL speaks about what is important to her while a self absorbed POL focuses on only on himself
Thanks to Gateway pundit for putting this video front and center. It needs to be seen by all those who care about our nation and those who swore the oath to defend our nation against all enemies, foriegn and domestic.
All our prayers and thoughts to Karen and Billy Vaughn. True Patriots, Shipmates in the US Navy and all others will never forget the sacrifice your son made and your sacrifice for giving us your son to defend our nation and way of life.
Empty words from politicians and a self absorbed President mean little to the Mother of this fine Patriot. To Obama, this warrior was one more political pawn.
To a grieving Mother and Father, this was their little boy, a son who was only theirs for a short and meaingful life, given freely to preserve our Nation.
All our prayers and thoughts to Karen and Billy Vaughn. True Patriots, Shipmates in the US Navy and all others will never forget the sacrifice your son made and your sacrifice for giving us your son to defend our nation and way of life.
Empty words from politicians and a self absorbed President mean little to the Mother of this fine Patriot. To Obama, this warrior was one more political pawn.
To a grieving Mother and Father, this was their little boy, a son who was only theirs for a short and meaingful life, given freely to preserve our Nation.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Obama Campaign sues to restrict voting by the military
Let me get this straight - The President and his Democratic allies will do anything they can to allow access to vote, including making sure that laws are in place that likely allow people who are non-citizens to vote BUT they have gone to court to limit access to voting for our US Military members??? Really ???If you have served our country or have someone you love who defended this country in uniform, you need to VOTE the unethical, shallow hypocrite out of office.
The President has proven to be unfit to command and undeserving of the support of anyone who cares about the defense of our country.
August 3, 2012
Obama campaign sues to restrict voting by military
Rick Moran - The American Thinker
If requiring a citizen to show a picture ID to vote is "suppressing the vote," what does it mean when the Obama campaign really makes an effort to prevent our soldiers from voting?
President Barack Obama, along with many Democrats, likes to say that, while they may disagree with the GOP on many issues related to national security, they absolutely share their admiration and dedication to members of our armed forces. Obama, in particular, enjoys being seen visiting troops and having photos taken with members of our military. So, why is his campaign and the Democrat party suing to restrict their ability to vote in the upcoming election?
On July 17th, the Obama for America Campaign, the Democratic National Committee, and the Ohio Democratic Party filed suit in OH to strike down part of that state's law governing voting by members of the military. Their suit said that part of the law is "arbitrary" with "no discernible rational basis."
Currently, Ohio allows the public to vote early in-person up until the Friday before the election. Members of the military are given three extra days to do so. While the Democrats may see this as "arbitrary" and having "no discernible rational basis," I think it is entirely reasonable given the demands on servicemen and women's time and their obligations to their sworn duty.
The National Defense Committee reports:
[f]or each of the last three years, the Department of Defense's Federal Voting Assistance Program has reported to the President and the Congress that the number one reason for military voter disenfranchisement is inadequate time to successfully vote.
I think it's unconscionable that we as a nation wouldn't make it as easy as possible for members of the military to vote. They arguably have more right to vote than the rest of us, since it is their service and sacrifice that ensures we have the right to vote in the first place.
I would disagree that the military has "more right" to vote than anyone. Everyone has an equal right to vote as long as they're registered and a citizen, and by saying that some have a greater right to vote, it means that others have a lesser right to vote -- and that's unacceptable.
Not really important, except it appears the Obama administration is buying that argument. With the suit, they are saying that our soldiers have a lesser right to vote than others. The law is designed to give military personnel an equal opportunity to cast their ballot. and by fighting that notion, the Obama campaign is seeking to suppress the military vote, knowing that it usually goes 2-1 Republican
Sunday, July 22, 2012
NAVY Vet demonstrates commitment to serve his country
Those who took an oath to " protect and defend the US Constitution against all enemies, foriegn and domestic..." do not lay down that oath lightly.....many like Navy Vet Dave Nicholson want to serve after the time in uniform ends. His dedication to serving his country is what makes him as much a part of those who serve as when he was in uniform.Many try to paint civilian contractors as modern day pirates - plundering and pillaging. I understand that some see private contractors negatively due to those who have acted dishonorably.
To paint all who work overseas in support of the military with distain is not only wrong, it is ignoring all the efforts of those like Dave Nicholson who serve alongside our military and provide the services they need to be mission ready.
I am a private contractor and have been there to support those in uniform as I still uphold my oath to protect the US Constitution and to serve our great country. I am proud to be in service to our country and to those who need our help. It is a honor and privilege to be here and know that each of us makes a difference in our own way.
Off the Base: Navy Vet, Private Contractor Dave Nicholson - http://www.wusf.usf.edu/
Navy veteran Dave Nicholson is on a mission to raise public awareness about the role of private contractors in Afghanistan and Iraq and to dispel myths about their work.
The fit, 56-year-old visited WUSF’s studios and talked with reporter Bobbie O’Brien as part of our ongoing series, Off the Base, that focuses on the lives of military families and veterans.
Nicholson wore a "Fly Navy" cap and a blue polo shirt with a Lockheed Martin logo. He has served both. The certified aviation mechanic served 12 years in the Navy before being medically discharged due to a blood disorder.
Nicholson worked in the public realm but missed the travel and sense of service he had in the military. So, he joined the ranks of private contractor because he felt he still had something to give.
He worked in Germany, Italy, Saudi Arabia and most recently at an undisclosed Combat Out Post in Afghanistan for Lockheed Martin on a classified project.
That’s where on April 28, 2011 – during a rocket attack which happened daily – Nicholson and his Lockheed teammates didn’t make it to a concrete bunker in time.
A rocket exploded 10 feet in front of them killing two of his teammates and severely injuring Nicholson.
“A lot of people say, ‘Are you bitter you lost both your legs trying to be a contractor in Afghanistan?’ and I look at it from a different perspective,” Nicholson said. “That’s a small price I personally paid so that others don’t have to. I protected them, that’s priceless. You can’t put a dollar amount on the good that we did.”
His recovery as a double amputee and a private contractor is different than that of active duty military injured in Afghanistan. He has to rely on Workers Compensation for his prosthetics, crutches, wheelchair and things like a van.
Nicholson is up to the challenge with the aid of his two bionic legs.
“It took a lot of hard physical therapy,” Nicholson said, but it’s paying off. He’s at about 85 percent when walking on his computer-controlled bionic legs. He’s ridden a horse, but says the real test will be when he can dance.
Friday, July 6, 2012
Marine Sergeant Enrique Trevino will do 1 Million Push-ups to help the Wounded Warriors Project
SEMPER FI Sgt. Trevino. An awesome effort for a good cause.Marine Doing 1 Million Push-Ups to Help Veterans
South Florida Marine is halfway toward his goal
By Justin Finch -Thursday, Jul 5, 2012 - www.nbcmiami.com
South Florida Marine Sergeant Enrique Trevino is more than halfway to his goal of completing one million push-ups to raise money and awareness for American veterans.
"In the very beginning, there were a lot of people who said your body can't handle it," Trevino told NBC 6. "That's their first mistake was telling a Marine you can't do something."
Trevino began his one million push-up pursuit as a New Year's fitness resolution, but soon realized he could turn it into an opportunity to help the Wounded Warriors Project. The organization helps veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, where Trevino himself has served, get reacquainted into post-military life.
He said not all vets return with wounds that one can easily see.
"People who are suffering from PTSD. Those are scars that are not seen, but people don't notice everyday," Trevino pointed out. "I'm just trying to bring awareness to those veterans who're transitioning into civilian life, and just make sure they're never forgotten."
Thanks to his push-ups and presence on Facebook and Youtube, Trevino has earned more than $9,000 for his cause. Still, his sights are set much higher.
"My goal is to reach $20,000, but if we can do more than that, which I know we can, I'm all for it," he said.
Last week, Trevino cracked the 500,000 mark, but he said that has not made his push up routine any easier.
"I'd be lying if I said it got easier, but my endurance has gotten better."
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Boston salutes the USS CONSTITUTION and all the men who sailed her
She is the flagship of the US NAVY. I was privleged to be a member of her crew in 1997 when she went undersail (untethered) for the first time in 116 years.The ship and the men who sailed her are united in history with their ship. The staff of the USS Constitution Museum have made an extraordinary effort to bring the history of the crew to life.
I salute these brave men as the ship is majestic but she was only able to be the success she was because she was manned by men who knew their duty and served on her decks, in peace and war.
BRAVO ZULU to the crew and captains of the USS CONSTITUTION - You made her proud.
Majesty and history
Constitution's forgotten crew and the War of 1812
By Peter Schworm
Boston Globe Staff / July 1, 2012
Undefeated in battle, a wooden vessel so stalwart it became known as Old Ironsides, the USS Constitution is perhaps the nation’s most famous warship, an abiding symbol of national pride and naval might.
Yet for two centuries, the hundreds of ordinary sailors who served aboard the great frigate during its most famous victories have been forgotten by history, with little known of their lives or sacrifice. They were celebrated in their day, honored with parades on their triumphant returns to Boston. But as the ship’s legend grew, they faded to obscurity.
Now, as Boston joins the nation in commemorating the bicentennial of the War of 1812, their stories are finally being told.
After a decade of poring over archives here and abroad, researchers at the USS Constitution Museum in Charlestown have pieced together the lives of hundreds of seamen and Marines who served on the Constitution during the war. Among the many characters are James Bennett, a freeborn black man who plugged holes from enemy shot and was later killed in the Battle of Lake Erie, and Asa Curtis of Scituate, the ship’s gunner, who was “weatherbeaten and scarred from many years at sea.”
Often starting with little more than a name, researchers spent long hours combing through pension applications and military documents, personal correspondence, and British prisoner-of-war records, to compile profiles of the sailors and provide a fuller picture of the ship’s history.
“It’s always been the missing piece of the story,” said Anne Grimes Rand, the museum’s president, as she walked through an exhibit that highlights individual sailors and the experience of life at sea.
It was a daunting task, one that scholars warned was nearly impossible given the passage of time. But the museum staff, joined by a host of volunteers, pursued the project with a sense of obligation, determined to give the men their due.
“The Constitution is talked about as if it’s its own agent,” said Sarah Watkins, the museum’s director of collections and learning. “We wanted to tell the story of the men who sailed, who steered, who fought.”
Armed with a solid list of crewmen, researchers began searching through archives for leads, relying heavily on pension records and protection certificates that seamen used as proof of citizenship.
“It was like a passport of the day,” said Lauren McCormack, the museum’s bicentennial programs coordinator. “And in the pension records, you really had to tell your story.”
Those archives often provided a foothold that led researchers to other documents — marriage and death records, wills, and census records.
Slowly, breakthroughs came, and lives came into focus. As researchers learned more, they were drawn into the stories, forging bonds with the figures from long ago.
“They started out as names, and they evolved into individuals,” Watkins said. “For us, it’s not just an intellectual pursuit, it’s an emotional connection.”
The bond was particularly strong with David Debias, a freeborn black from Beacon Hill who was just 8 when he joined the crew, becoming a servant for a master’s mate.
Debias was among the crew chosen to sail on the HMS Levant after it was captured by the Constitution. That vessel was in turn seized by the British on its return to the United States. He was imprisoned in Barbados for a few months before being sent home to his family.
He was discharged in 1815, earning $32 for his seven-month stint.
But Debias was soon back on the seas again, joining the merchant fleet and then reenlisting on the Constitution. In 1838, he left his ship while it was docked in Alabama and was seized in Mississippi as a runaway slave.
Researchers found a letter that a lawyer for Debias wrote the secretary of the Navy, asking for proof of his military service. But they couldn’t find a response and worried the path had gone cold.
“We all wondered, ‘What happened to David?’ ” Watkins said.
Then one day, the National Archives called, saying they had tracked down the Navy’s response affirming his military service. When the news came, yelps of delight filled the museum’s library. They never found out whether he regained his freedom. But there was hope.
Another riveting, if tragic, story was that of Philip Brimblecom. Born in 1786 in Marblehead, he grew up fishing cod, and in 1809 he sailed on his uncle’s schooner to Spain. But the ship was taken off the coast of Spain and impounded by the French government. Brimblecom went to work aboard a French merchant ship, but then it was seized, and Brimblecom was jailed in England.
He eventually escaped and found an America-bound ship. But by this point the war had begun, and Brimblecom was captured again. In September 1812, he was exchanged as a prisoner of war.
Undeterred, he signed up for the Constitution the same month. During a battle in December 1812, a cannonball took away his arm at the elbow.
“Everything bad that can happen in seafaring happened to him,” said Matthew Brenckle, the museum’s research historian.
He could not find work, and wrote the Navy seeking a job and increase in his $6 monthly pension.
Brimblecom was given a job in the Charlestown Navy Yard in 1816, but later wrote and asked them to “look after a poor distressed crippled sailor.” He died at 38.
Such stories show the dangers and unforgiving nature of life at sea, and the sacrifice of those who served during what many consider the country’s second war of independence.
Yet hundreds of crew members remain just names on a muster, and researchers say their work is far from done. As word of the project has spread, descendants of sailors have contacted the museum with potential leads, and researchers are hopeful they will continue to make progress.
“We find out more practically every single day,” Brenckle said.
Peter Schworm can be reached at schworm@globe.com
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