Strike Up the Band!

My friend CJ, who writes at A Soldier's Perspective, has hit on a wonderful idea to celebrate Veteran's Day. He's issued an open letter to milbloggers to join him at the YouServed Blog for a virtual Veteran's Day Parade. Cool, huh! So, for you milbloggers who read this humble blog...let CJ know you'll join the parade, everyone who participates will generate dollars for a worthy charity, VALOUR-IT. For you non-bloggers, come on over to watch the parade. It'll be a blast! Here's CJ's letter:

Virtual Veteran's Day - An Open Letter To Milbloggers
October 7th, 2008 by CJ

Greetings fellow milbloggers and assorted opiners of liberty!! For those that don't know me, you haven't had your head in the sewage much and I applaud you for it. For those that do, I apologize again. I write this to ask for your help in arranging a virtual Veteran's Day Parade that will be hosted on the YouServed blog and I would like to enlist your help (yes, even if you are/were commissioned, you're being enlisted for THIS cause!).

Here's what I need from you. First, of course, is participation. This hasn't been done before and if we pull this off I may have a shot at being the next writer for Blackfive during the upcoming television series "So You Think You Can Blog For Blackfive"!!

We'd like to get at least 30 participants for the "parade", but the more the merrier. For every participant I can get, the VA Mortgage Center will donate $20 to VALOUR-IT. That's right, for EACH participant.

Second, I need you to contact other milbloggers and ask for their participation. For blogs like ASP, Mudville Gazette, and Blackfive where there are multiple authors, each participant will count as a separate person for this purpose.

Finally, I need each milblogger to provide the following information:

Name or screenname
Blog URL
Character "float" you'd be and why you picked it (for example: Snoopy because he was the Red Baron - a veteran like no other!!)
Personal thoughts about Veteran's Day.

You can either send me the picture you'd like to use for your float or we can make one to use. The picture can be something you create or just an image you like that reminds you of Veteran's Day and speaks to your "float". Please forward this post to your favorite milbloggers and have them contact me if they're interested. Share this on YOUR blogs and snatch this up into emails to milbloggers as well. The deadline for this is November 4th - one week prior to Veteran's Day.

It's All About Politics

Obviously the economy, bank failures, sub-prime mortgages, and the stock market are all big news items these days. As they should be. But I really wonder why only FOXNews is reporting that the Iran has been harassing US military assets in the Strait of Hormuz almost daily, and on September 6th even threatened to shoot down US helicopters flying over a US Navy ship. At least as of this morning (1113 to be precise) neither CCN On-line nor ABC On-line had anything posted on their main pages about Iranian harassment. CNN had an admittedly interesting story about a military C-130 Brazilian Air Force cargo plane that flew 373 rescued, rehabilitated, and now repatriated penguins back to their normal feeding grounds. There were several stories about the Presidential debate and the economy, but nothing about Iran and their continuing harassment of our military. Same with ABC. They had a story about Expatriate debauchery in Dubai and one about Courtney Love losing weight; but nothing about Iran looking like they're trying to provoke a war. Come on - - what's more newsworthy here? Could it be that it's all about politics?

These news organizations appear to (no, they obviously) support Senator Obama for President. Could it be that the-powers-that-be at these organizations really don't want to focus the Nation's attention on the very real possibility that Iran is getting too big for its britches and may want to pick if fight with us? Could it be that if the people of this Nation think that there's the possibility of a "real" war with Iran, or even "just" an international crisis involving a country that is doing its best to develop nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them, that those people might think twice about electing Senator Obama? Could it be that these news organizations don't want to report any news, at all, that would somehow have a negative impact on "their" historic candidate's chances for election? Or am I just being cynical?

Music & More

I've been a big fan of the music published by To The Fallen Records for a while now. To The Fallen Records is an independent record company created by former-Captain Sean Gilfillan after he returned from a tour of duty in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Capt Gilfillan had met a lot of musicians in the military and was surprised that so many talented people did not have a way to get their music heard by more people than their buddies and in talent shows. He combined efforts with a friend, Ms Sidney DeMello and the two created a record label that allows active duty and former military members to send, email, or handcarry their music to them for possible publication. As the To The Fallen Records official website succinctly states,

"Regardless of genre, To The Fallen offers a platform for these powerful voices to get their messages across to fellow soldiers as well as civilians and the public at large. A non-partisan label, To The Fallen's mantra is "It's not about politics, it's about music." Considering that the men and women making music on the label are the same brave soldiers defending our right to free speech, they have earned the right to say what they want to say, regardless of their political persuasions. To The Fallen Records concentrates on quality music, and makes a point of presenting an array of opinions from people that aren't running for office, and have no agenda other than asking for some respect."

All this is a rather lengthy introduction to a wonderful new song from one of the TTFR artists, Stephen Covell, called "Sand Hills to Sandals." It's great. It's posted on the TTFR blog, and unfortunately I can't import it to mine. Please go listen, it's wonderful! Stephen Covell has written a guest post about his decision to join the Army and why he writes and sings music that's posted right below the video. In the post he says,

"A few months ago I made a video for "Sand Hills to Sandals" from my barracks room at Fort Bragg. It may be the only song I ever write about the time I spent in Iraq and what it was like to come back home because I've never been one to mix business with pleasure. Maybe it will help people understand what its like if they have friends or loved ones deployed. If something positive can come out of the sadness that so many have had to face then I think it will have been the right thing to do."

Great song, Stephen! I think you've accomplished what you wanted and I know I got something positive from your song. As your lyrics say, "It will be alright..." That's something everyone needs to know sometimes. I'd recommend it to my friends, family, and blog readers (and I do!)

Another Hero!

Here's a story about another real-life hero from the Army Times. (Anyone seeing a trend here today?)

Spc. gets Silver Star for hand-to-hand combat

By Gina Cavallaro - Staff writer

The Rangers were wading through chest-high grass and deep irrigation ditches.

Spc. Joseph Gibson, 23, felt something odd underfoot. It turned out to be an armed man wearing a suicide vest. What happened next earned Gibson a Silver Star medal.

“He was kneeled down in one of the irrigation ditches. I actually stepped on him and just because of how the terrain was I really didn’t even think anything of it. I took about two more steps before I thought, ‘I’d better see what that was,’ ” said Gibson, of A Company, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment.

Gibson received the Silver Star at a ceremony Sept. 26 at Fort Lewis, Wash., where his unit is headquartered.

It was April 26, and Gibson, who joined the Army in 2005 “to get as much action as I could,” had already been to Iraq three times on the night he and his squad were moving through the ditches.

The man in the ditch was the last thing he expected to see, Gibson said, and because he had been pushing through the grass to see the ground, he didn’t have his rifle aimed.

“He was fixin’ to shoot me and there’s no way I could have shot him first, so I just got in front of his weapon ... and he fired it off right next to my face,” Gibson told Army Times. “I tackled him to the ground and grabbed hold of his weapon ... and I started hollering for help. While I was doing that he ripped my helmet off.”

Before help could arrive, Gibson was in a full-scale hand-to-hand fight with the man, who was on his back and tenaciously fighting to get control of his AK47 assault rifle.

There was no room to maneuver in the ditch, and Gibson gained superiority by getting on top of the man and wrestling his rifle away. The man grabbed Gibson’s rifle, which was slung around his neck, and tried to keep Gibson from shooting him.

“He’s got my weapon, so I start to hit him in the face,” Gibson said. “He wasn’t trying to aim my weapon at me, he was in no position to do something like that.”

While Gibson was throwing punches, he could feel the man’s hand reaching down to “grab a knife or something to attack me and then he told me in English he said ‘bomb’ and I realized he had a bomb on him and he was trying to clock himself off.”

“It definitely dropped my morale, but it didn’t slow me down or anything,” he said.

“I kept control of his hand and he ... used his foot to push my chest plate up into my throat and it was beginning to choke me so I let all my weight down on him and I hit him in the face as hard as I could and knocked him out for just a second.”

With no time to waste, Gibson opened enough space between himself and the man to shoot.

“I buried my weapon into his gut and fired one off and he hollered and then that’s when I got off of him and neutralized him,” Gibson said.

Gibson’s close encounter with the suicidal enemy took place only minutes after he had risked his life under fire to help evacuate a Ranger buddy who had been shot when the squad assaulted enemy-held territory by helicopter.

After the hand-to-hand fight, Gibson continued to press on with his fellow Rangers to secure the area, fighting for about another hour.

After the close combat, Gibson said, “I was in a pretty good mood, I was ready to go. I was kind of discombobulated, running around a little shaken up, but I got it together and got my stuff and carried on.”

After the exhilaration of the action he said he joined the Army to see, he re-enlisted for six more years.

“I’ve thought about it, and I know it could have played out a lot of different ways, I’m just glad the guy did what he did and wasn’t thinking very smart,” Gibson said. “As long as I got out of his weapon’s reach, he didn’t have a chance.”

h/t Blackfive

Fallen Hero Video

Here's a heartwarming story about how one family honors their fallen hero and others. I guess I should give a "tissue alert" for this one.


h/t CJ

Real Heroes

Barry Rubin, a writer at American Thinker, has an article titled Detecting Real Heroes where he discusses a Raymond Chandler essay that, according to Mr. Rubin, defines the American hero and what the American hero tells us about ourselves and our society. Mr. Rubin says that “Americans like their heroes flawed but not shattered.” We like them to be reluctant; thrust into the role of hero because of their moral character and their commitment to doing the right thing for the right reason. We understand that our heroes are not perfect; we don’t want them to be better than we are, we want them to be someone we could (or should) be. We like heroes who are ordinary, imperfect people with a good sense of humor, who don’t take themselves too seriously. Although we like our imperfect heroes, we also want our heroes to have a strong sense of self; an understanding of character and honor and integrity. Our heroes have a strong moral code and despise the fake or the petty. Mr. Rubin describes American heroes as

”These are the kind of people who serve in the military, risk their lives, endure torture as prisoners if that befalls them, and work the tough jobs. Or, to pick an example at random, such a person might be a mother who works her way up from the PTA to a governorship by raising five kids and choosing to have a baby with serious problems. Where one side sees a living being, the other sees a burden.

They are the store clerks who don’t be the big break and become rock stars. They are the insurance salespeople, the factory workers, the businesspeople on a big or small scale, the truck drivers, and all the rest. If they don’t get glamour they should at least get respect.”

Aside from Mr. Rubin’s obvious political bias (one which, in the interests of full disclosure, I share) he’s right about the characteristics of the quintessential American hero. Real heroes, everyday heroes, are everywhere. They are the “wise who solve what the smart create.” They are the young men and women who choose, who volunteer, to serve a cause bigger than themselves; often at risk to life and limb. They are the wounded warriors who think only of recovering and rehabilitating so that they can rejoin their “buddies” in the field to get the job done. They are the mothers and fathers who work hard everyday to take care of their children; who give love and laughter along with the discipline. They are the people who give back to the community, the church, or the nation, rather than take just because they think they’re somehow “entitled.”

We don’t have to look far, or read the papers to detect real heroes. We all know someone who is a real hero. I know several. I’m sure you do, too. I know my AF-daughter and Marine-son are heroes. They chose to serve our nation, willingly, knowing that they may be called to put their life on the line. I know my daughter-in-law is a hero. She chooses to support my son’s choice to serve. They are easy heroes to detect. There are others, not so easy to see. I know a father who comforted his sick young son by letting him sleep on his chest, at the expense of the father’s own sleep and despite the father’s need to work the next day. I know a grandfather who worked hard every day of his life, but took the time to volunteer to teach the community’s youth the joys that of riding and caring for horses. I know young man who lost an eye in service to his country, but still wants to serve and still sees a future in service; despite having only one eye. I know a good man who has worked hard to conquer his demons and has changed his life for the better. These true heroes are more private heroes; but heroes nevertheless. I also see my mother and my grandmother as heroes. These strong and capable women raised children with love, and discipline, and helped instill a strong moral code based on honor and integrity in their offspring. I see my daughter as a hero. She’s picked up the torch these strong women lit and is carrying it forward in raising her own children. All of these heroes are real people, imperfect people, who just try to do what’s best. That’s what makes them real heroes.

Romantic Bad Boy?

A blogger named "Bookworm" has an interesting theory on why so many otherwise intelligent and responsible Americans seem to be infatuated with Senator Obama. Check out Bookworm's article on American Thinker.

According to Bookworm, Americans are climbing on Senator Obama's bandwagon because he's the "romantic bad-boy." Okay, as a theory, it makes a kind of sick sense. Bookworm points out that, for women, the typical romantic bad boy is the guy that has

"been running around on her, and he can get pretty verbally abusive. Still he always tells her he loves her and he promises her that things will get better. With those promises echoing in her head, she's absolutely certain that, if she can just get him to the altar, he'll improve. The act of marriage will magically transform him from an abusive boyfriend who makes pretty speeches into the man of her dreams -- one who is precisely as good as he promises to be. The fact that her friends keep pointing out his myriad failings and that they remind her that the leopard can't change his spots is irrelevant. He says he loves her and if, she can just force that marriage, he'll suddenly realize that he has to change.

Bookworm then compares the typical romantic bad boy to Senator Obama who, despite a record devoid of accomplishments, has made impressive promises "such as a crystalline, pre-industrial environment, without any economic downsides; peace and harmony with the baddest of bad guys; universal health care; and wealth for all. . ." According to Bookworm, like women who believe all the promises that their romantic bad-boys tell them, many Americans "believe those promises, despite the fact that Obama's ineffective resume shouldn't give them reason to believe that he can follow through on any of his promises." So, Bookworm believes that the reason so many normally intelligent Americans intend to vote for Senator Obama is because they

"are thrilling to the feeling of dating the political bad boy, the cool guy who talks a good line, but who has a trail of personal and professional failures in his wake (and some pretty unsavory friends too). Everybody wants to date the bad boy once and a while. But the thing is, you don't marry the bad boy. Just as marriage to the bad boy won't magically make him better, a presidential inauguration won't transform the anti-American, unaccomplished Barack Obama into an effective statesman imbued with a true love for his country.

Perhaps. Perhaps it's just because no one, but the alternative media has looked closely at Senator Obama; who he really is and what he really stands for. Perhaps it's because there are those so infatuated with the "historic" nature of his campaign for presidency (code words for the first black presidential candidate). Perhaps it's just because this Country has become so polarized that neither party is willing to really evaluate a candidate; but will just cast a "knee jerk" vote. Who knows. I do know, however, that American voters should heed Bookworm's final bit of advice:

"So, if you voters think there is more to this Barack Obama than just pretty words, I suggest that you do with him exactly what I'd suggest if you were a young woman infatuated with the bad boy: Wait a while (four years? eight years? twelve years?) and see whether, with time, he either grows up and grows out of it, or if he follows that downward trajectory, validating your decision to reject him in the first place."

"It's what Marines do."

Two Marines at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Lance Corporals Brandon J. Brown and Christian D. Forrest, were recognized by the commanding general of 2nd MLG, Brig. Gen. Juan G. Ayala, for helping save the life of the driver a car that jumped a curb and slammed into a pole then rolled. The two Marines saw the accident and rushed to the driver's aid, pulling her from the car and waiting with her for paramedics to arrive. Read the Marine Corps' official press release here.

These two Lance Corporals certainly demonstrated the courage and personal bravery we've come to equate with the term "Marine." But what impressed me was their humbleness. They acted heroically, but both said that they did what any Marine would do. According to LCpl Forrest, "As a Marine you do what you need to do, when it's time to do it," while LCpl Brown says, "I felt good that I did it, but it’s what Marines do, we help. It’s our job." I wish more of the young people in this Country would have the attitude of these two young Marines. Perhaps the Country would be a better place. Thank you LCpls Forrest and Brown!

h/t Blackfive

Demonstrated Dedication

Like just about every woman, I've dieted. I've been concerned about my weight. I've lost and I've gained (can you say yo-yo?). I know how hard it is to lose weight and keep it off. Which is why Ms Ashley Barrett-Carter's story touched me. This woman so wanted to serve her country by joining the Army that she lost 113 pounds to do so! Way to go! As Sean Hannity would say, "you're a great American!"

According to a story in the Dallas Morning News Ms Barrett-Carter started thinking about serving in the military a few years ago, but when she walked into a recruiting station she found out that she needed to lose 100 pounds in order to meet the Army's height and weight standards. The recruiter, Sgt Ryan Memolo, thought he'd never see her again. But he did. She came back 2 months later, weighing 20 pounds less. She did it by restricting portions and by exercising rather than by fad diets. After steadily losing about 2 pounds a week (on the advice of her Doctor), Ms Barrett-Carter is ready for basic training. This is the kind of dedication and commitment to service that makes our military great! Hope Ms Barrett-Carter sails through basic, and enjoys her enlistment!

Senator Obama is "Loving You"

Andy McCarthy has a post on The Corner at NRO.com that's really scary! The post summarizes another article by Ken Timmerman on Newsmax discussing Senator Obama's money raising campaign. It seems that Senator Obama has received a lot of money from foreign sources, in violation of Federal law, and there is also indication that he's received a lot of money from contributors who are structuring their contributions deliberately to avoid the requirement that the campaign disclose anyone with contributions totaling over $200, as well as the $4,600 limit for individual campaign contributions. Unlike Senator McCain, who discloses all of his campaign contributors, Senator Obama has refused to dislose the names of most of his donors even though election law requires that the campaign track them.

Senator Obama has raised almost a half of a billion dollars ($429.6 million), so far. According to Newsmax, the Federal Election Commission (the FEC) has asked for a redesignation or refund of 53,828 donations, totaling just under $30 million.

The FEC has also identified more than 11,500 contributors making $33.87 million in questionable overseas contributions. Until recently, Senator Obama's website allowed people to make contributions from any country listed in the UN without giving proof of citizenship. The records show that Senator Obama has raised $201,680 from diplomats or military members living overseas. They've listed their address with an "APO" identifier. Clearly, folks who reside overseas can legally contribute; as long as they are a citizen, and there's nothing wrong with those contributions. On the other hand, the FEC has identified more than 520 of Senator Obama's campaign donors who listed their state as IR, which is an abbreviation for Iran. There were 63 other donors who listed thier address as the UK, an abbreviation for the United Kingdom. In November 2007, two Palestinian brothers contributed more than $31,300 to Senator Obama's campaign, and the FEC has asked the campaign to reassign the money. The campaign has refunded most of it, but still owes $891.11, despite FEC warnings that the money must be refunded and the campaign's claim it did so in December.

Aside from the questionable overseas donations, the FEC has also questioned donations from small contributors; those the campaign does not have to disclose. It seems that there is some evidence that contributors or fundraisers are breaking a large contribution into small parts and using fake names to avoid campaign disclosure laws and the monetary limit for individual contributors. Senator Obama has raised $222.7 million from people contributing $200 or less. According to the Newsmax article thats the largest pool of unidentified money that's ever "flooded" the US election system since before or after the McCain-Fingold election reform laws went into effect in 2002.

For example, the FEC has questioned a series of $25 donations from a Mr. "Good Will" who apparently lives in Austin, Texas, and who listed his employer as "Loving" and his profession as "You." Mr. Will is just too cute for his own good. Newsmax reviewed the campaign records and discovered that Mr. Good Will has made over 1,000 contributions (most for $25 paid by credit card) for a total contribution of $17,375. The Obama campaign has refunded the credit card for 330 contributions, but Mr. Will's total contribution still reaches $8,950, well over the $4,600 limit an individual can contribute to a campaign under our election laws.

In another example, Mr. "Doodad Pro" from "Nando, NY" contributed a total of $19,500 in 786 donations, again most of them by credit card for $25. Like Mr. Good Will, Mr. Doodad Pro listed his employer as "Loving" and his profession as "You" on some donations and just seemed to pick random letters on other donations. The Obama campaign has also refunded some of the donations, but not all. The campaign still possesses $11,165 of Mr. Pro's contributions, again well over the individual limit.

I know I'm skeptical about conspiracies, but does anyone else see a pattern here? If Mr. Will and Mr. Pro weren't so cavalier (or so stupid and juvenile) they wouldn't have used such obviously fake names or fake information so many times. Without their stupidity, the system these two used for avoiding disclosure or individual limits would have been much more difficult to identify. The information is scary, though and leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I have to ask myself a couple of questions: Is this a concerted effort to avoid federal election laws? Is this one of those dreaded conspiracies, or just stupid contributors? Just how many of Senator Obama's contributions violate the laws of this country? Will the FEC act, or just let the Obama campaign draw out their responses and actions until after election day? Finally, the most important question of all. . .when will the mainstream media report on these "irregularities?"

Soldiers & "The Meltdown"

There's a story on Breitbart.com that addresses how Soldiers getting ready to deploy from Ft. Riley, Kansas have been hit with a new worry: the economic crisis. This is just a particularly poignant example of how the meltdown has already impacted everyday folks. Even though these Soldiers and their families know that their paychecks will be paid, unlike some in the civilian sector; military members still worry what the crisis will do to their investments. Military retired pay, while nice, does not provide sufficient income for most families to completely retire when leaving the service. Many count on investments to "close the gap."

While military members serve in Iraq, their pay is not taxed, and they receive hazardous-duty pay; but Soldiers don't serve because it will make them rich. Military pay is better than it used to be, but it still isn't commensurate with civilian wages. So, it's a good thing there are leaders like the Command Sergeant Major quoted in the article. She's actively telling the Soldiers in her command to be smart, that the extra money won't last. As a leader, she recognizes that many of these young men and women have never balanced a checkbook, or view credit cards as plastic money; at least until the payments are due. She encourages financial planning and saving the extra pay. (Check out my blog-friend Jarhead's take on this.) Fortunately, Ft. Riley, like most other bases, has a program to help families learn how to manage their money. Good thing. With good leaders to set the example, and to mentor their troops, our deploying service members should be able to weather the financial crisis about as well as the rest of us. It's just a shame that they have to think about it at all.

Welcome AFRICOM

The US has a new combat command, the United States African Command, or AFRICOM. The new command joins the five other military headquarters who support a particular region; such as US European Command, US Central Command, and US Northern Command. As a unified command, AFRICOM will be responsible for providing military forces necessary to support US Foreign Policy on the continent of Africa. Before creation of this command, that responsibility was shared by three different regional commands. AFRICOM’s commander, General William E. “Kip” Ward, said that the command’s creation will allow the US to “look at the continent of Africa as the African’s look at it.”

Personally, I think this is a good thing. It seems that Africa, and problems in Africa have often been viewed as a supplemental problem; something that will either work itself out or that someone else will take care of. I tend to agree with General Ward when he says that in

“today’s globalized society, we know that what’s going on in any part of the world affects us all. It is our best interest as a nation as well as for the international community of nations to have a stable African continent.”

There is no intention to establish AFRICOM bases in African countries, and AFRICOM’s focus seems to be on establishing military-military relationships, ensuring security and helping other agencies, like the State Department as well as non-governmental entities, work toward security and economic growth of African countries. Good ideals. Hope it works. It looks like the first big challenge for AFRICOM, aside from the growth of Islamic-based terror groups, is the Somali Pirates.