Parents of SEAL Team Six soldier killed in action call for President Obama's resignation

'You are not up to this job': Parents of SEAL Team Six soldier killed in action call for President Obama's resignation

• Billy and Karen Vaughn lost their only-son Aaron Carson Vaughn in 2011
• The SEAL Team Six member was one of 33 killed when a Chinook helicopter was gunned down in Afghanistan
• On Monday, the Vaughns wrote a letter condemning President Barack Obama's actions following the release of the video depicting the execution of journalist James Foley by Islamic State radicals
• Mr and Mrs Vaughn criticized the president's decision to go golfing after he held a press conference on the Foley beheading 

By Ashley Collman for MailOnline

Published: 18:14 EST, 1 September 2014 | Updated: 19:28 EST, 1 September 2014

One couple knows all too well the pain suffered by the parents of James Foley, the American journalist executed last month by the Islamic State.

Billy and Karen Vaughn also lost their only-son Aaron Carson Vaughn in 2011, when the SEAL Team Six soldier's Chinook helicopter was shown down over Afghanistan.

Now the couple are calling on President Barack Obama to step down, citing his reaction to the Foley video and 'lack of leadership' in confronting ISIS.

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Time to resign: Karen and Billy Vaughn (pictured above) wrote a letter this week, condemning President Obama's actions following the release of the video depicting the execution of American journalist James Foley by ISIS. The couple lost their own son, soldier Aaron Carson Vaughn, in a 2011 helicopter crash in Afghanistan

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Killed in action: SEAL Team Six soldier Aaron Carson Vaughn was one of seven commandos killed in the 2011 chopper crash, in addition to an Afghan translator and military dog. They were shot down by enemy combatants 

On Monday, the Vaughns wrote a letter, calling out Mr Obama's decision to go golfing after holding an important press conference on the Foley video.

'As Commander-in-Chief, your actions - or lack thereof - Mr President, cost lives.

'As you bumble about in your golf cart, slapping on a happy face and fist-pounding your buddies, your cowardly lack of leadership has left a gaping hole — not only in America’s security — but the security of the entire globe.

'Your message has come across loud and clear, sir: You are not up to this job. You know it. We know it. The world knows it,' the Vaughns wrote in the letter published on World Tribune.  

The couple go on to directly ask Mr Obama to resign so that a man or woman 'of courage and substance' can take over and address the 'out-of-control thug fest' happening in Syria and Iraq, where ISIS is attempting to establish a caliphate.

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'As you bumble about in your golf cart, slapping on a happy face and fist-pounding your buddies, your cowardly lack of leadership has left a gaping hole,' the Vaughns said of President Obama's decision to play a round after holding a press conference on the Foley tragedy

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Vacation mode: President Obama was vacationing on Martha's Vineyard when the video was released by ISIS. He was photographed on the golf course at least two times after the video's release 

'It’s time for you to step down and allow a true leader to restore our honor and protect our sons and daughters...

'America has always been exceptional. And she will be again. You, Mr President, are a bump in the road,' they wrote.

Billy Vaughn told MailOnline that  he has been displeased with the way President Obama has been acting at press conferences. 

'I'd like to see him have some passion about anything going on in the world instead of just speaking in a monotone voice like he has a script that has been made up,' Mr Vaughn told MailOnline.

Aaron Carson Vaughn was killed in August 2011 when a Chinook helicopter was shot down in eastern Afghanistan. All 33 aboard died in the crash, including Vaughn and several SEAL Team Six members.

Vaughn and his fellow commandos were attempting to reinforce a group of Army Rangers after they ran into trouble during a raid to capture a senior Taliban leader.

SEAL Team Six is best known as the group which carried out the execution of Osama Bin Laden in May 2011.

FULL LETTER FROM BILLY AND KAREN VAUGHN

After finally choosing to view the barbaric, on-camera beheading by ISIS of freelance war correspondent James Foley, I have been left with a level of rage known only to those of us who have sacrificed unspeakable offerings on the altar of world peace.

My offering was my only son — Aaron Carson Vaughn. Aaron was a member of SEAL Team VI. He was killed in action when a CH47D Chinook, carrying thirty Americans and eight Afghans was shot down in the Tangi River Valley of Afghanistan on Aug. 6, 2011.

endorse1Many times over the past three years, I have been asked what drove my son to choose his particular career. What made him want to be a Navy SEAL? My answer is simple.

Aaron Vaughn was a man who possessed the courage to acknowledge evil. And evil, once truly acknowledged, demands response. Perhaps this is why so few are willing to look it in the eye. It is much simpler — much safer — to look the other way.

That is, unless you are the leader of the Free World.

As Commander-in-Chief, your actions — or lack thereof — Mr. President, cost lives. As you bumble about in your golf cart, slapping on a happy face and fist-pounding your buddies, your cowardly lack of leadership has left a gaping hole — not only in America’s security — but the security of the entire globe. Your message has come across loud and clear, sir: You are not up to this job. You know it. We know it. The world knows it.

Please vacate the people’s house and allow a man or woman of courage and substance to seize the reigns of this out-of-control thug-fest and regain the balance we, America, have provided throughout our great history.

Thanks to your “leadership” from whatever multi-million dollar vacation you happen to be on at any given moment, the world is in chaos. What’s been gained, you’ve lost. What’s been lost, you’ve decimated. You’ve demolished our ability to hold the trust of allies. You’ve made a mockery of the title “President.” And you’ve betrayed the nation for which my son and over 1.3 million others have sacrificed their very lives.

But this should come as no surprise, since your wife uttered a vile statement on Feb. 18, 2008, during the primary campaign — one that speaks volumes of your true convictions. “For the first time in my adult life, I am really proud of my country,” she said.

I am sure my deceased son thanks you for that, Mrs. Obama. Oh, and you’re welcome.

Never in my lifetime have I witnessed such despair and such growing fear that the world’s last best hope, America, has finally been dismantled. Perhaps the better word is transformed — fundamentally transformed. Come to think of it, it’s become difficult — if not impossible — to believe things haven’t gone exactly as you planned, Mr. President.

Amazingly, in five short years, your administration has lurched from one disaster to another. You spearheaded the ambitious rush to end the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan — with no plan on how to do so effectively. Also, the release of “the Taliban five” in exchange for one American — without consulting Congress — is also on your shoulders.

You have been at the helm during unprecedented national security leaks — including, but not limited to the outing of SEAL Team VI on the Bin laden raid, the outing of the Pakistani doctor who provided the intelligence for that raid, the outing of Afghanistan’s CIA station chief, and the outing of your personal “kill list” to make you look tough. In addition, 75 percent of American deaths in Afghanistan and 83 percent of Americans-wounded-in-action have occurred on your watch, according to icasualties.org.

And now, we have this recent, heinous event: the beheading of an American citizen by a barbaric organization you foolishly referred to as “the JV team” in your statements to the New Yorker magazine in January.

You, sir, are the JV team. It’s time for you to step down and allow a true leader to restore our honor and protect our sons and daughters.

America has always been exceptional. And she will be again. You, Mr. President, are a bump in our road.

                                                                                                     Reprinted with family's permission

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2740184/You-not-job-Parents-SEAL-Team-Six-soldier-killed-action-call-President-Obama-s-resignation.html#ixzz3C7QTxy00 
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IF USA Had a REAL LEADER, he would address our enemies like CHURCHILL spoke to Hitler

Battle Buddies

I can't enough of this picture..... Two Battle Buddies - No stronger bond on the battlefield than a man and his K-9 companion.  This is what 2 brave warrior look like

Are you better off than you were 6 yrs ago????

Simple question - Easy answer for most. NO.

But I digress....Monday Political update

Monday SCOTUS rulings punish the fraud sitting in the White House. Awesome.

The political mood in America has never been worse.  The media and Dems said this same statement in 2008 and promised to make things better.  Another lie told to Voters.

Things are bad all over.  Latest economic news states economy shrank by 2.9% in the 1st qtr of 2014.  Damn, that is NOT GOOD.   White House reaction??  Blame it on bad winter weather.

This is one more sign that voters were stupid to elect the Moron in the White House in 2008 and stupider to do so again in 2012.  He's a total lame duck now and has been for some time.  He emboldens our enemies abroad as they see his weakness.  He's the biggest empty suit of all time....

Can't wait to see the 2014 Midterms - Hopefully, voters will turn out in force to strip DEMS of Senate majority and then start reversing the crappola that was voted through like OCare.... Can't happen quick enough....

Taliban 2.0 - Made possible by POTUS & Hillary

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

These are the three kindest words I can use in conjunction with the dunderhead that sits in the White House and the failure that was his Secretary of State.

Obama & Hillary caused this issue in Iraq to become reality by emboldening the Jihhadists, arming them in Libya, failing in Benghazi and showing them that our WH would be unwilling to do anything to save our own people.

Take a good look at this HUMVEE as you and I paid for it.  It sits abandoned in Tikrit as Iraq's military was unable to defend themselves. Obama allowed this to happen with his cowardly cut & run.

Experts said so in 2008-2010.  Iraq was not ready to defend themselves.  They needed more time.  But President Stompy Foot decided in his infinite wisdom to withdraw our forces.

What an idiot.  Now, all we fought for and all we did to help Iraq will go to waste due to one imbicile who should never have been allowed to be POTUS.

I'd go on further but all it's doing is making me angrier.  I was in Fallujah from 2004-2005 and I saw the suffering of the Iraqis.  That will be nothing compared to what ISIS will do to them.

Taliban 2.0 - The shitstorm has yet to begin and it all falls on the idiot that fools elected President.

He owns this.

Back again

Good Morning -

Long time no chat. I guess I would state I owe anyone who was concerned about me an apology. I got back from Afghanistan in late May 2013, took a ride cross country and got home to find that jobs were still not easy to nail down.

 We had a crappy winter and Blogger.com was acting wonky so I stopped writing this blog. Now, I'm back to work with a new job and this time it is stateside. I'm going to give Blogger.comm one more chance.

 The work in Afghanistan is at an end. I'm glad to have been there and glad to have assisted the people of Afghanistan but things there are rapidly closing down. I miss many good friends I have there as the Afghans I know were great people and were very kind to me while I was there.

So there are many things that have been happening and the two that are front & center are the VA mess and Iraq. Both are places where I have had fights. The VA system is a mess and the people who used it as their cash cow are reprehensible. They have profited off the suffering and deaths of Veterans. They'll be a special place in hell for these cowards. God help them as the $$$ they made will not help them when they have to own up for their sins.

The other issue is the loss of Northern Iraq to the Jihadists, something that happened directly due to the incompetence of the idiot in the White House. There is no way to calculate the enormity of the problem as we will likely have to go back into Iraq to save the Iraqis from this mess.... I'm waiting for the news to say so and I would guarantee plans are being drawn up.

For now, I'm also on twitter - @Leadership_One / Feel free to follow me there. I'll try to make sure I get back here more often and hope that I'll be able to contribute to the blogosphere on a regular basis.

Until then, carry on.

The Return of Middleboro Jones & driving cross country....

The Return of Middleboro Jones....From where? Well I got home from my last sojourn to Afghanistan in late May of this year. It was a great feeling to be home and I wanted to spend time offline as much as possible. Blogger.com made that easier as I had trouble logging in to the website and posting any info. That allowed me to be free of the need to feel I should make a regular post. So what have I been doing since then? Well to start off, I looked at starting a small business and acquired a vehicle for that purpose. A 1974 VW Bus no less. Bought it online from a man in Seattle. The key issue was how to get it from Seattle to Boston. After a few discussion of pros and cons, I decided to drive it home from the West Coast. Now a few advised against it but as someone who traveled the wilds of Afghanistan, how could this be more risky? The real risk was if I bent it up or it broke down seriously while in transit. I had a ton of frequent flyer miles from my rides to & from the far side of the world so getting to Seattle from Boston cost me $25, First Class no less. The owner of the bus picked me up and we drove out to his home about 20 miles north of Seattle. Nice country but not someplace I would like to stay long term.....winter there must be tough as it is very hilly. Got to the VW and looked her over....she ran OK and I had my doubts but paid the man $3000 and off we went....3200 miles to Boston and nothing but lots of open road. The first 300 miles took me from Seattle to Spokane across the largest area of emptiness I had seen in quite some time, The Columbia River Valley. Miles and miles of green rolling hills and not a thing in between. Pretty country but very empty of people. Pulled into the Spokane KOA at 9 PM and was glad to rest. A long day of traveling. Got the Kombi set up for sleep, plugged in my extension cord for device power and off to sleep. Next AM, got up and decided to hit the road early. One problem - the VW would not idle or stay running. It was a Sunday, so that means I am not going anywhere. Not that this is the worst problem as I am at a campground and can be comfortable while I wait. So I kill a day and Monday AM get AAA to tow me to a local shop that handles VWs and has done so for 40 yrs. The issue turns out to be a faulty fuel pump. An easy fix and by 1 pm, I am back on the road heading west toward Idaho. I manager to get across Idaho and into the western edge of Montanna where I pull off for the night at the next KOA I find. A nice rest stop and again, some incredible sights along the way cross the Cascade Mountains. The Continental Divide is no small feat in a VW bus. The sign says 6396 ft and that is a long way up for the VW and then we have to go down the other side which is also no small feat for a VW Bus which has skinny tires. Next Day is spent driving across a good sized piece of Montana following Rte 90 East. I manage to get where I am supposed to go and land in Sheridan, WY. Just as I arrive, I can see a large and nasty looking Thunderstorm closing in as you can see for quite some distance and the storm is about 20 miles wide as it bears down on us. I get to Sheridan when the most hellatious hailstorm hits and for better part of 2 hours, I hide under a service station canopy. This is good as the hail is pounding anything exposed. After the storm, I make my way to the Sheridan KOA. Sheridan is a pretty town with a nice rustic center with shops & such. Just when I get settled in late in the evening, a 2nd round of thunder & lightning hits....I am too tired to care & sleep takes over. Another early start and I head into the vast open nothingness of the flatlands of South Dakota.... open & flat pretty much sums it up. Lots of wide open spaces. I stop at a service station just off the highway and while I am in my VW making notes, 2 bikers walk up all dressed in leather. I wonder if they are looking for a hippie to beat up.... The first one walks up and says " Das is ein gut bus!!" - They are 2 Germans driving bikes cross country and were admiring my VW Bus.....funny guys and they spend about 20 minutes looking her over and talking in their best english about how much they like the Kombi. I set off on my way and was planning to stop in a little village called Belvedere, SD where there is a KOA. I get there and discover that the only things there are the KOA & a gas station....kinda spooky looking too and decide tosee where the next KOA is along Rt 90. I find the next one is only 50 miles and decide to make a run for it before it gets dark. The next place worth stopping turns out to be Kennebec, SD which is small (population 248) but it will do. Get settled in and even able to pull up the Stanley Cup Finals game on my Ipad via wifi...will wonders never cease?) More to follow in the next day or so.....as long as Blogspot works well. Update - Blogspot still misbehaving .....not easy to post.

Navy Yard Shooting today in Washington DC

Prayers for all those killed and wounded today in an yet unexplained act of Terrorism. I hope the authorities will find those responsible and bring them to justice. 

A sad day for all Americans. 

At least 12 dead in Navy Yard shooting. Two possible suspects at large

By Carol Morello, Peter Hermann and Clarence Williams, 

Updated: Monday, September 16, 2:22 PM Washington Post

At least 12 people are dead and others were wounded after as many as three shooters dressed in military style uniforms opened fire in a rampage at the Washington Navy Yard on Monday, police said, spreading fear and chaos across the region as authorities tried to contain the incident.

D.C. Police Chief Cathy Lanier announced the mounting death toll in a 2 p.m. news conference. One suspected shooter is dead, and Lanier said authorities still are looking for two other potential suspects wearing green and tan military style clothing. 

“The big concern for us right now is that we have potentially two other shooters that we have not located at this point,” Lanier said.

Mayor Vincent C. Gray said no motive is known. He said they have no reason to believe it was an act of terrorism, though he said he could not rule it out.

Lanier described one of the possible suspects as a white male in his 40s, wearing what appeared to be tan military clothing, “consistent with a Navy uniform,” and a beret. She said police also are looking for a black man in his 40s with gray sideburns, wearing an olive-drab military-style uniform.

“We have multiple pieces of information that would suggest” that the two suspects are armed. “We have reason to believe that they are involved in some way.”
Police are asking anyone with information on these two people to call 202-727-9099  

Two law enforcement officials said the shooter is among the 12 dead. The dead shooter had an assault rifle and a handgun, two law enforcement officials said. One said he also had a shotgun. 

The officials said police are working under the theory that there may be additional shooters because of witness accounts and surveillance video among other information. One of those officials also said all the weapons were not accounted for.

At least two police officers were among those shot. Police on the scene said one is a D.C. Metropolitan Police officer who was shot twice in the leg and was evacuated to a hospital. Lanier said he was in stable condition after engaging the shooter with gunfire. The other was a base officer. The D.C. officer, a male, was conscious at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and his chances for survival were good, hospital officials said.

Janis Orlowski, the chief medical officer at Washington Hospital Center, said three victims in all were brought to the center, all in critical condition but alert, responsive and able to talk with doctors. The victims were also able to speak briefly to law enforcement officers before undergoing surgery or treatment, she said.

The other two victims at the hospital were female civilians, Orlowski said at a press conference.

 All are likely to survive.

Ten public and charter schools and a public school administration building in the District were placed on lockdown as a precaution, and flights out of Reagan National Airport were briefly halted, causing delays even after they began departing again.

Adm. Jonathan W. Greenert, the chief of Naval Operations, was evacuated from his residence at the Navy Yard complex shortly after the first report of shots fired, Navy officials said.
Greenert, a four-star admiral and member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was safely evacuated to the Pentagon along with his wife, Darleen, said Cmdr. Ryan Perry, a Navy spokesman.
The U.S. Navy said that three shots were fired around 8:20 a.m. at Building 197, where about 3,000 people work. 

Rick Mason, a program management analyst who is a civilian with the U.S. Navy, told the Associated Press that a gunman was shooting from a fourth floor overlook in the hallway outside his office. He said the gunman was aiming at people in the building’s first floor cafeteria. 

Tim Jirus, a Navy commander who works in Building 197, said that as he was evacuating the building he saw a co-worker who had been shot getting into a police car, and heard more shots fired from inside his workplace.

A worse sight lay just ahead. Jirus went to an alley where he thought he would be safe, and talked briefly with a man there about what was going on. Jirus said he heard two gunshots, loudly echoing off the building. It caused him to spin around and look in the direction of the sound. When he turned back, he looked down and saw the man he had been conversing with lying on the ground, shot in the head.

Uncertain where the shooter was, he ran.

“I was just lucky,” he said. “The other person was shorter than me. There were two shots, he got that guy, he didn’t get me. . . .The randomness of it -- standing right next to me, one person gets shot.”

David Stevens, a Navy contractor, was on the phone talking in building 197 when he heard an initial volley of shots fired. He heard people shouting that a shooter was on the building’s fourth floor.

He said he ran to the edge of a glass atrium that overlooks all the floors and glanced up, only to hear a “second deluge” of shots. The fire alarm sounded, and people began exiting the building.

Stevens described the building as very secure. He said employees must present an ID at the entrances. Visitors must have security clearance to get in.

“It’s unbelievable that someone could get a rifle in there -- if that’s what the shooter had,” he said.

Two Navy yard employees interviewed on CNN said they were fired on in a hallway by a gunman they described as a tall black man.

A woman who gave her name as Terry Durham said that as she and co-workers were evacuating, she saw a man down the hall raise a rifle and fire toward them, hitting a wall. “He was tall. He appeared to be dark-skinned,” she said.

“He was a tall black guy,” said her co-worker, Todd Brundage. “He didn’t say a word.”
One man who said he was at his desk on the second floor when the shooting began recalled hearing a loud noise “like someone dropping an old metal desk.” The man, who declined to give his name, said there was a pause, then several noises close together and he realized the danger: “There’s a shooter in the building. I started walking toward the door and I heard people running down the hall.”

Employees described the chaos, as a fire alarm sounded and people shouted, “Where is he? Where is he?”

Police closed the 11th Street Bridge as well as M Street SE between 2nd and 4th streets SE due to the shooting. Entrances to the Navy Yard Metro station remain open.

U.S. Capitol Police confirmed enhanced security at the Capitol, but no immediate threat.
As helicopters circled overhead and emergency vehicles continued to rush to the scene, crowds of onlookers gathered on sidewalks and at a construction site near the Navy Yard, but police pushed them back, yelling at them to keep a distance from the grounds. 

President Obama on Monday expressed sympathy for the victims of the shooting in the Navy Yard in Southeast Washington and said justice must be sought.

“I’ve made it clear to my team that we want the investigation to be seamless, so that local and federal authorities are working together,” he said.

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Summertime and this Blogger has been busy ( just not blogging)

Apologies all around for my lengthy absence...Guess after getting off my deployment in late May, the last thing I have wanted to do is sit down at my laptop....Blogspot & IE were not talking either so that didn't help. Got a new roof done in July with a lot of sweat equity by yours truly....sorely needed and glad to have it done. Further projects in the offing ( vinyl siding, new windows, etc) so no rest for the wicked ( or the weary) - Much work needed to the homestead after three years absence overseas Still posting on Twitter as often as possible - my handle is @Leadership_One - Check it out in Twitter-ville Still working on my manuscript for book about my experiences in Afghanistan....We'll see if cooler weather gets me back behind the laptop as I want to epublish it soon as possible Hope all are enjoying Summer as much as I am..... I'll be back.....

Blogspot not working well with IE

My apologies for not posting more often.....

Seems as Blogspot & IE are not on speaking terms....so posting is down to IPad. Benn busy making up for lost time including a new roof on the old homestead.....Big job as on many places, there were 5 layers of roof shingles....I've been loading them onto my pick-up truck & taking them to the dump....talk about your workout plan....

 Hope that Blogspot gets its issues worked out as this is NOT how I want to post..... Thanks for being patient.

Happy 4th of July from Boston.... 1st time in 4 years

Time waits for no man.....  

A year ago, I was in Kandahar City on the 4th of July - Now, I am home, and this time for good. No more trips to Afghanistan as three missions there has been quite enough. this is the first 4th of July I've been home since 2009.  
Just wanted to make sure while you are having your holiday and time off for the the 4th, all remember that your military are out there in 120+ degree heat of Afghanistan ( and other places around the world) keeping you safe.   Here were my thoughts from a year ago..... Happy 4th of July to all !!

 4th of July in Kandahar City 2012

 It is the 4th of July here in Kandahar City, Afghanistan.  
The day arrived earlier than stateside due to we are 8 1/2 hours ahead of the US. Most back home are preparing for a night's rest along with some going out on the night before a day off.  
Here in Afghanistan, it is just another day.  

On military bases here, there will be a bit of celebration and some good food at the DFACs ( Dining Facilities). At the same time, many will carry out their normal work of going in harm's way, working to guard the freedom of the people here. All will go about the normal business of the work that occurs here in the war zone.  
Likewise, the work here will go on for me also.

It is another work day and one that has become a bit of a habit for me. This is the 3rd year in a row that I have been here for the 4th of July. I have been working contract work for the past three years and that means being here for most of the year including the summer.  
There will be no BBQs to attend or fireworks ( as the fireworks here are usually a bad thing). The holiday passes quietly here and that is understandable. It is what we have agreed to as part of the deal of working overseas, away from home and family.  
Back home in the USA, things are not all "beer & skittles" either. 1.4 million people in the Mid-Atlantic area are still w/o power due to the thunderstorms that came through earlier this week, 14 million people are unemployed or underemployed ( leaving them w/o work or the type of work they usually would perform) and the majority of our citizens are unhappy with the direction our government has taken over the last 4 years.  
Being away from home is tough at times like this, but so is being at home without work. I have had to deal with that and it is a terrible place to be. Like many others, I have spent a significant number of years working as a manager in HR and now face the new reality that what was of value to employers in the past is undervalued now. The degree and experience I have is treated in the same manner as some look upon an older car.  
Employers are hiring younger workers and paying them 1/2 of what someone like me should earn. This is not just happening to HR professionals, but professionals from all different professions. The recession has given businesses the ability to shed older workers, who carry larger wage & benefit costs and hire younger workers who seek less.  
This trend will wind up hurting companies as they will spend more in training and loss of customer satisfaction. They are acting shortsighted and it is only making things worse economically.  
Don Henley is on my IPAD with the song “The Heart of the Matter” and sings, " These times are so uncertain, there's yearning undefined and people filled with rage..." - very true and accurate even after the 20 years since he wrote the song.  
America finds itself in perilous straits - The economy is sluggish and that is partly due to the 14 million people who are effectively unemployed. They don't have the income they need and that means they are not purchasing goods and services. That in turn holds the economy back. We have a President who acts like an insolent teenager and thinks that it is cool to hang out with Hollywood types. Instead of seeking maturity and competance, his supporters want to act like eternal high schoolers on a spending spree with their parent's credit card. The Middle class is struggling more than ever and all we get from the President is "Party on..." as he parties on the taxpayer's dime.  
We deserve better leadership and the people sitting in the White House & Congress ain't it.....  
The 4th of July is one of the days that makes me think more about the country I love and how difficult it was back in 1776. The signers of the Declaration of Independence faced tough times including the risk of their lives for opposing the King.  
My family has been in America since 1635 so many of my ancestors were there when the Revolutionary War freed our nation.  
The key is that as Americans, we will continue to make our country and the world a better place by our actions. Though we will disagree with each other and argue about what is needed, the outcome will still be an example to others about what can be accomplished if we set our minds to doing something.  
That is essentially what I am doing here in Kandahar City - working to help the people of Afghanistan by leading them to create a better country for themselves and their children. That is the lesson we learned back in 1776 and one we still honor and celebrate today.  
Happy 4th of July to all our military serving abroad, our colleagues working to support them and all back home in the USA.

A Work In Progress

Been busy At home and that has made less time for being online.  When I was in Afghanistan, I had some extra time on my hands and that allowed for time to work on the web.

Now that I am home, there are a multitude of items that need my attention.  This keeps me from spending more time online but that is fine.  I will make time to keep this blog updated one way or the other.

One off shoot of the time overseas in Afghanistan is that I will be e-publishing a book on my travels through Afghanistan.  I have quite a few stories to tell ( or retell) as the case may be.  I am working on a title as that will be one of the keys to marketing it online.

More info to come but for now, I am trying to make time to balance home, web, work and other tasks.

As with many other things in my life, it is a "work in progress"

To be continued.....

Being Home is the best & working with The Home Base Program

Been home for a month now and things are just starting to feel normal again. By normal I mean that I am starting to feel like I will be home and stay home. The first few weeks felt like a R&R as most time at home while deployed is 2-3 weeks.


Now, with Summer in place, I am looking forward to the things I missed over the last few years - 4th of July, Barnstable County Fair, Cape League Baseball and some time at the beach.
I am also working with the Home Base Program out of Massachusetts General Hospital. The VA has proven to be pretty useless as they don't listen and don't want to see things as they are. The VA seems dedicated to downplaying the issues that you have as if they validate them, it will be a "cost" to them. When it comes to the VA, it comes down to $$, not what is best for the Veteran.

The Home Base Program has been put together by MGH and the Red Sox foundation. If you are a Veteran of Iraq and/or Afghanistan and need help, they will assist you free of charge. The staff is attentive and focuses on what is needed, not what it costs.

I highly recommend you look into this great program. Click on the link below.

http://www.homebaseprogram.org/general-information.aspx

Chicago Teacher Union Boss/BS Artist - "It's everyone else's fault...."

BullSh-t Artists abound in our society.....You can spot them easily as they have been on the government payroll their entire lives, have not done a thing to help others ( only worked on fattening their wallets) and still want to blame everyone else for their failures.

Case in point - The Head of the Chicago Teacher's Union. While I am no fan of the Mayor of Chicago Rahm Emmanuel, this woman is a total BS artist.  She'll be living off the taxpayers for the rest of her life, but still thinks taxpayers need to impoverish themselves to make things right....in her warped world.


What a bunch of BS.  There ought a be a law against ths type of outright stupidity.


Chicago teachers union chief faults ‘rich white people’ for city’s education mess

The Daily Caller

In a scathing speech on Wednesday, the president of the Chicago Teachers Union charged that racism and “rich white people” are to blame for the immense financial crisis facing the Chicago Public Schools.

In her remarks to an audience at the upscale City Club of Chicago, union boss Karen Lewis strongly criticized Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. She also urged the city schools to follow the strategic blueprint of the Chicago Cubs baseball team.

“Members of the status quo — the people who are running the schools and advising the mayor on how to best run our district — know what good education looks like because they have secured it for their own children in well-resourced public and private institutions,” the Dartmouth graduate charged.

“When will there be an honest conversation about the poverty, racism and inequality that hinders the delivery of a quality education product in our school system?” Lewis also asked in the speech. “When will we address the fact that rich, white people think they know what’s in the best interest of children of African Americans and Latinos—no matter what the parent’s income or education level.”

The union leader then questioned the motives of “venture capitalists” who have expressed a desire to improve the quality of education for poor and minority students.

“There is something about these folks who love the kids but hate the parents,” Lewis inveighed. “There’s something about these folks who use little black and brown children as stage props at one press conference while announcing they want to fire, layoff or lock up their parents at another press conference.”

Lewis called for “an end to corporate subsidies and loopholes.” She demanded “progressive taxation” to close the $1 billion budget deficit currently facing the Second City and its public schools.(RELATED: It’s official: Chicago Public Schools will close 49 elementary schools for good)

Higher income tax rates on wealthy residents would generate billions in necessary revenue, the union chief suggested. She also proposed new taxes for commuters and for financial transfers.

In her closing remarks, Lewis, a self-professed Chicago White Sox fan, suggested that the Chicago Public Schools would be wise to emulate the Chicago Cubs baseball franchise.

“When the Cubs lose a game they don’t call for Wrigley Field to close down. They don’t want the entire team dismantled. Despite empty seats, the stadium isn’t accused of being underutilized,” she said.

Lewis, who obviously spends little time listening to Chicago’s two main sports radio stations, also suggested that “no one questions” the salaries of Chicago baseball players.

Year after year — despite individual player performance, despite game losses and near wins — the fans show continue to show up. We keep cheering for our Cubbies. We know they are winners. We dream. We believe,” Lewis said.

“Do the same for our children,” she implored. “Cheer them on. Invest in them. Love them. Support their parents. Support their teachers. Support their schools. Let’s work together. Let’s win, Chicago. Let’s win.”

The Chicago Cubs famously have not won a World Series since 1908 (or a National League pennant since 1945). The team is currently in next-to-last place in Major League Baseball’s National League Central division — 16 games out of first place.

Best laid plans of mice and men

Well I hoped to be home by Saturday but the bus needed another repair.  Right rear CV joint and axle was NFG so that cost me a day in Madison, WI.  Found a great group of guys at Kelly Moss Motorsports who were able get me up & running, even coming in on Saturday morning to finish the job as the parts weren't there until then.

Ran into some great people along the way at the KOA Campgrounds I stayed at and had a good time but like anything else, the trip was longer than I wanted.  Time to be home and start working on the next adventure.....Had enough of being away from home. Really.