Thanks to G.Smiley for this interesting comment on Illinois politics!
Hello, It’s Me!
8 years ago
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
"'40% Off--Some Assembly Required'"
Col Oliver North wrote an editorial, published on FoxNEWS.com, talking about the young Marine Lieutenant the Freedom Alliance honored at the Army-Navy football game. The Freedom Alliance is a non-profit organization that provides educational scholarships for children of military members killed in action. This year's reciepient of the "Defenders of Freedom Award" is Lieutenant Andrew Kinard; a true hero. Col North's editorial tells Lt Kinard's story better than I can summarize it. Here it is:
"On October 29, 2006, Lieutenant Kinard was leading his Marines on a foot patrol in Rawah, Iraq — searching for a terrorist bomb factory — when a command-detonated IED exploded directly next to his left leg. The blast blew him into the air and he landed almost 20 feet from the crater. Three other Marines were wounded.
According to those who were there, before the grievously injured officer passed out from loss of blood, he ordered them to set up security, get a head count and start treating the other injured Marines. The platoon Corpsman tried to staunch the flow of blood, but couldn't find enough undamaged tissue to apply tourniquets and the lieutenant was losing blood — from almost everywhere.
A Cas-Evac helicopter airlifted him to the Marine Air Base at Al Asad, then to the Army trauma hospital at Balad, north of Baghdad. Sixty-seven pints of whole blood — more than five times the amount in a healthy adult — were pumped into the failing officer's veins in a 24-hour period.
By the time he was flown to Landstuhl, Germany in a C-17 Nightingale, he had gone into cardiac arrest — and been resuscitated — twice. Emergency surgeries went on nearly non-stop to plug the seemingly innumerable holes punched in his body. The family was alerted and a prayer vigil held. Hundreds of people half a world away went to their knees and begged God for a miracle.
Some miracles happen immediately. This one took awhile.
Four days after being blasted to pieces, Andrew Kinard was in the intensive care unit at the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, with his family around his bedside — and still praying. By the time I got back from Iraq, just before Christmas 2006, "Drew" as his Marine and Naval Academy friends call him, had already endured more than two dozen surgeries.
His doctor told me that the 24-year old lieutenant was "getting better" even though he had pneumonia, a blood infection and multiple perforations of his intestines from shrapnel. They had just done one of the many skin grafts necessary to prepare his stumps for prosthetic limbs.
When I walked into his room, his mother and his sister Katherine were with him. His dad, a doctor in Spartanburg, SC, and two younger siblings, Courtney and Will, were all enroute to spend Christmas with their badly battered Marine.
But for all the cards, poster, banners, Christmas stockings, lights, photos and flags, the room would have looked like a scene from a science fiction movie. Monitors, electronic devices, compressors, pumps and assorted tubes, wires and bags of colored fluids surrounded the bed — all the connected to Andrew Kinard. Tiny flecks of shrapnel were still visible on the side of his face. He had no legs. His abdomen was an open hole. And he was smiling. "God is good," he said in greeting.
Over the next 11 months of hospitalization, Andrew Kinard was living proof of that statement. When I would ask him or his family, "How can I help you?" The inevitable response would be: "Just pray for recovery." And so, he also became evidence of the power of prayer.
In April 2007, he flew to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina to meet his Marines when they returned from Iraq. Wearing his Marine utility uniform for the first time since being wounded, he greeted his comrades in a special "all-terrain" wheelchair.
Asked by a reporter to recollect the day he was wounded, he acknowledged that his memory of the attack had been dulled by shock and pain. Then he said, "A man asks himself, if something happens to me, when I go into battle, how will I react? Will I be brave?"
As they arrived home, the members of "Alpha" Company made it clear: Lieutenant Andrew Kinard was, without a doubt, their hero.
On October 29, 2007, exactly a year after he was wounded, the indomitable young officer came home. Dignitaries and thousands of well wishers were on hand to welcome Andrew at First Baptist Church, Spartanburg. The following Sunday he spoke at all three services, thanking all for their unfailing prayers.
His recovery will continue for years to come. But on one of my visits to him in the hospital the man who had once played rugby at the Naval Academy said, "I don't need legs. I have my arms. I learned discipline at the Naval Academy. I have my faith and a desire to serve. Maybe I'll go to law school."
Andrew has all of that — and more. He also has a great sense of humor. He has a T-shirt with the words "Marine for Sale" printed on the front. On the back it reads: "40% Off — Some Assembly Required"
Great Story! Personally, I hope Lt Kinard does go to law school. The legal profession needs heroes, too.
"On October 29, 2006, Lieutenant Kinard was leading his Marines on a foot patrol in Rawah, Iraq — searching for a terrorist bomb factory — when a command-detonated IED exploded directly next to his left leg. The blast blew him into the air and he landed almost 20 feet from the crater. Three other Marines were wounded.
According to those who were there, before the grievously injured officer passed out from loss of blood, he ordered them to set up security, get a head count and start treating the other injured Marines. The platoon Corpsman tried to staunch the flow of blood, but couldn't find enough undamaged tissue to apply tourniquets and the lieutenant was losing blood — from almost everywhere.
A Cas-Evac helicopter airlifted him to the Marine Air Base at Al Asad, then to the Army trauma hospital at Balad, north of Baghdad. Sixty-seven pints of whole blood — more than five times the amount in a healthy adult — were pumped into the failing officer's veins in a 24-hour period.
By the time he was flown to Landstuhl, Germany in a C-17 Nightingale, he had gone into cardiac arrest — and been resuscitated — twice. Emergency surgeries went on nearly non-stop to plug the seemingly innumerable holes punched in his body. The family was alerted and a prayer vigil held. Hundreds of people half a world away went to their knees and begged God for a miracle.
Some miracles happen immediately. This one took awhile.
Four days after being blasted to pieces, Andrew Kinard was in the intensive care unit at the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, with his family around his bedside — and still praying. By the time I got back from Iraq, just before Christmas 2006, "Drew" as his Marine and Naval Academy friends call him, had already endured more than two dozen surgeries.
His doctor told me that the 24-year old lieutenant was "getting better" even though he had pneumonia, a blood infection and multiple perforations of his intestines from shrapnel. They had just done one of the many skin grafts necessary to prepare his stumps for prosthetic limbs.
When I walked into his room, his mother and his sister Katherine were with him. His dad, a doctor in Spartanburg, SC, and two younger siblings, Courtney and Will, were all enroute to spend Christmas with their badly battered Marine.
But for all the cards, poster, banners, Christmas stockings, lights, photos and flags, the room would have looked like a scene from a science fiction movie. Monitors, electronic devices, compressors, pumps and assorted tubes, wires and bags of colored fluids surrounded the bed — all the connected to Andrew Kinard. Tiny flecks of shrapnel were still visible on the side of his face. He had no legs. His abdomen was an open hole. And he was smiling. "God is good," he said in greeting.
Over the next 11 months of hospitalization, Andrew Kinard was living proof of that statement. When I would ask him or his family, "How can I help you?" The inevitable response would be: "Just pray for recovery." And so, he also became evidence of the power of prayer.
In April 2007, he flew to Camp Lejeune, North Carolina to meet his Marines when they returned from Iraq. Wearing his Marine utility uniform for the first time since being wounded, he greeted his comrades in a special "all-terrain" wheelchair.
Asked by a reporter to recollect the day he was wounded, he acknowledged that his memory of the attack had been dulled by shock and pain. Then he said, "A man asks himself, if something happens to me, when I go into battle, how will I react? Will I be brave?"
As they arrived home, the members of "Alpha" Company made it clear: Lieutenant Andrew Kinard was, without a doubt, their hero.
On October 29, 2007, exactly a year after he was wounded, the indomitable young officer came home. Dignitaries and thousands of well wishers were on hand to welcome Andrew at First Baptist Church, Spartanburg. The following Sunday he spoke at all three services, thanking all for their unfailing prayers.
His recovery will continue for years to come. But on one of my visits to him in the hospital the man who had once played rugby at the Naval Academy said, "I don't need legs. I have my arms. I learned discipline at the Naval Academy. I have my faith and a desire to serve. Maybe I'll go to law school."
Andrew has all of that — and more. He also has a great sense of humor. He has a T-shirt with the words "Marine for Sale" printed on the front. On the back it reads: "40% Off — Some Assembly Required"
Great Story! Personally, I hope Lt Kinard does go to law school. The legal profession needs heroes, too.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Consequence Management
The Commission that issued the "World at Risk" report warned that we could potentially face an attack using nuclear, biological or other weapons of mass destruction "somewhere in the world" in the next 5 years. Scary! So what's being done? Well, the Commission had recommendations, and some of them even made sense. And (much to the concern of some) the Pentagon also announced this week that there would be 15,000 troops dedicated to Northern Command to respond to a weapon of mass destruction attack; 5,000 active-duty soldiers, with the rest of the troops from the National Guard and Reserves. Okay. So how does this help us? Well....the increase in military forces dedicated to NORTHCOM really doesn't help at all in preventing an attack; but it does help in managing the consequences of any attack.
It's clear that we also need to try to prevent an attack from ever occurring, particularly on American soil. But if it ever does, the military is best equipped to help civil authorities manage the results of any attack. Think about it...remember the immediate aftermath of hurricane Katrina? It was the Coast Guard, the National Guard, and active-duty military forces that had the command structure, the training, the logistics, and (frankly) the shear ability to do what was necessary to gain control of the situation and start dealing with the disaster. While we learned a number of lessons from the Katrina response, there is still no reason to believe that civil authorities are any better equipped or trained to deal with nuclear, biological, chemical, or high explosive weapons. The military is, so it makes total sense for the military to be ready to respond to any attack using weapons of mass destruction.
So to those out there who are afraid of the military running amok, or fear another Kent State (for those of you youngsters who don't know what happened at Kent State, look it up), you need to ask yourselves who would do what needs to be done if we were attacked, if not the military. Who has the training to deal with the aftermath of a chemical, biological or nuclear weapon? Who has the chain of command and logistics necessary to ensure that people and needed resources are in the right place at the right time? Who has the equipment that may be needed? It certainly isn't FEMA, nor is it the state or local authorities. Only the military has the ability to do what needs to be done.
So it's a good idea to get the right forces assigned to the right command and ensure that they're properly trained and that they've done what's needed to ensure civilian authorities are integrated into the military's planning. This is too important not to make it work.
It's clear that we also need to try to prevent an attack from ever occurring, particularly on American soil. But if it ever does, the military is best equipped to help civil authorities manage the results of any attack. Think about it...remember the immediate aftermath of hurricane Katrina? It was the Coast Guard, the National Guard, and active-duty military forces that had the command structure, the training, the logistics, and (frankly) the shear ability to do what was necessary to gain control of the situation and start dealing with the disaster. While we learned a number of lessons from the Katrina response, there is still no reason to believe that civil authorities are any better equipped or trained to deal with nuclear, biological, chemical, or high explosive weapons. The military is, so it makes total sense for the military to be ready to respond to any attack using weapons of mass destruction.
So to those out there who are afraid of the military running amok, or fear another Kent State (for those of you youngsters who don't know what happened at Kent State, look it up), you need to ask yourselves who would do what needs to be done if we were attacked, if not the military. Who has the training to deal with the aftermath of a chemical, biological or nuclear weapon? Who has the chain of command and logistics necessary to ensure that people and needed resources are in the right place at the right time? Who has the equipment that may be needed? It certainly isn't FEMA, nor is it the state or local authorities. Only the military has the ability to do what needs to be done.
So it's a good idea to get the right forces assigned to the right command and ensure that they're properly trained and that they've done what's needed to ensure civilian authorities are integrated into the military's planning. This is too important not to make it work.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
The World at Risk
The Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism has released its report, titled "The World at Risk." Congress chartered the Commission, co-chaired by Senators Bob Graham and Jim Talent, to look at our progress in preventing weapons of mass destruction proliferation and terrorism. The Commission was also asked to give the next President and Congress recommendations on how to ensure we protect our nation from weapons of mass destruction. According to the Report's Executive Summary,
"The Commission believes that unless the world community acts decisively and with great urgency, it is more likely than not that a weapon of mass destruction will be used in a terrorist attack somewhere in the world by the end of 2013. The commission further believes that terrorists are more likely to be able to obtain and use a biological weapon than a nuclear weapon.
"The Commission believes that the U.S. government needs to move more aggressively to limit the proliferation of biological weapons and reduce the prospect of a bioterror attack.
"Further compounding the nuclear threat is the proliferation of nuclear weapons capabilities to new states and the decision by several existing nuclear states to build up their arsenals. Such proliferation is a concern in its own right because it may increase the prospect of military crises that could lead to war and catastrophic use of these weapons."
The Report is very interesting, very frightening, and very necessary. It's been seven years since terrorists used civilian airliners as cruise missiles and attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. In that seven years, we have been fortunate that there has not been another successful terrorist attack, despite the best efforts of some miscreants. Our law enforcement and security folks are fantastic and have been able to stop those who have wanted to attack us in some way. Thankfully! But unfortunately, the lack of a successful attack has caused much of our citizenry to become complacent. Some people have regressed into a belief that "it can't happen here." According to this Commission, a terrorist attack can happen here and it might happen here within the next five years.
The Commission makes 13 different recommendations on how we can better protect our nation from weapons of mass destruction. Some are really good, like the recommendation to implement a series of measures to protect against bioterrorism, the recommendation to continue to work with Russia reduce the danger of the use of nuclear and biological weapons, and the recommendation to create a principle advisor at the White House for issues relating to weapons of mass destruction. But the best recommendation, in my opinion, was the recommendation that said,
"As a top priority, the next administration must stop the Iranian and North Korean nuclear weapons programs. In the case of Iran, this requires the permanent cessation of all of Iran’s nuclear weapons–related efforts. In the case
of North Korea, this requires the complete abandonment and dismantlement of all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs. If, as appears likely, the next administration seeks to stop these programs through direct diplomatic engagement with the Iranian and North Korean governments, it must do so from a position of strength, emphasizing both the benefits to them of abandoning their nuclear weapons programs and the enormous costs of failing to do so. Such engagement must be backed by the credible threat of direct action in the event that diplomacy fails."
I've always thought that Teddy Roosevelt had it right when he said, "Speak softly and carry a big stick." Well, it may be worth another try to get both Iran and North Korea to stop their nuclear weapons programs. But somehow, I don't think more talking will work. I agree with the commission that the only way diplomacy will work with either country will be if there is a "credible threat of direct action." Neither country will play nicely without Teddy's "big stick."
The Commission has concluded that "America’s margin of safety against a WMD attack is shrinking. " However, the Commission also found that there was "ample and solid ground for hope about the future." I hope so. I hope that our nation's leaders and our nation's citizens wake up and read the Commission's report. I hope that we lose our collective complacency. I hope that we, as a nation, take the steps necessary to protect ourselves; before it's too late (again). The Commission believes that "our nation has immense reservoirs of strength that we have only begun to use, and our enemies have weaknesses that we are learning how to exploit. There is much more that we can do to protect ourselves." Okay, so let's wake up, meet the challenge, and do what we need to do to protect ourselves from the threat of terrorists using weapons of mass destruction against us.
"The Commission believes that unless the world community acts decisively and with great urgency, it is more likely than not that a weapon of mass destruction will be used in a terrorist attack somewhere in the world by the end of 2013. The commission further believes that terrorists are more likely to be able to obtain and use a biological weapon than a nuclear weapon.
"The Commission believes that the U.S. government needs to move more aggressively to limit the proliferation of biological weapons and reduce the prospect of a bioterror attack.
"Further compounding the nuclear threat is the proliferation of nuclear weapons capabilities to new states and the decision by several existing nuclear states to build up their arsenals. Such proliferation is a concern in its own right because it may increase the prospect of military crises that could lead to war and catastrophic use of these weapons."
The Report is very interesting, very frightening, and very necessary. It's been seven years since terrorists used civilian airliners as cruise missiles and attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. In that seven years, we have been fortunate that there has not been another successful terrorist attack, despite the best efforts of some miscreants. Our law enforcement and security folks are fantastic and have been able to stop those who have wanted to attack us in some way. Thankfully! But unfortunately, the lack of a successful attack has caused much of our citizenry to become complacent. Some people have regressed into a belief that "it can't happen here." According to this Commission, a terrorist attack can happen here and it might happen here within the next five years.
The Commission makes 13 different recommendations on how we can better protect our nation from weapons of mass destruction. Some are really good, like the recommendation to implement a series of measures to protect against bioterrorism, the recommendation to continue to work with Russia reduce the danger of the use of nuclear and biological weapons, and the recommendation to create a principle advisor at the White House for issues relating to weapons of mass destruction. But the best recommendation, in my opinion, was the recommendation that said,
"As a top priority, the next administration must stop the Iranian and North Korean nuclear weapons programs. In the case of Iran, this requires the permanent cessation of all of Iran’s nuclear weapons–related efforts. In the case
of North Korea, this requires the complete abandonment and dismantlement of all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs. If, as appears likely, the next administration seeks to stop these programs through direct diplomatic engagement with the Iranian and North Korean governments, it must do so from a position of strength, emphasizing both the benefits to them of abandoning their nuclear weapons programs and the enormous costs of failing to do so. Such engagement must be backed by the credible threat of direct action in the event that diplomacy fails."
I've always thought that Teddy Roosevelt had it right when he said, "Speak softly and carry a big stick." Well, it may be worth another try to get both Iran and North Korea to stop their nuclear weapons programs. But somehow, I don't think more talking will work. I agree with the commission that the only way diplomacy will work with either country will be if there is a "credible threat of direct action." Neither country will play nicely without Teddy's "big stick."
The Commission has concluded that "America’s margin of safety against a WMD attack is shrinking. " However, the Commission also found that there was "ample and solid ground for hope about the future." I hope so. I hope that our nation's leaders and our nation's citizens wake up and read the Commission's report. I hope that we lose our collective complacency. I hope that we, as a nation, take the steps necessary to protect ourselves; before it's too late (again). The Commission believes that "our nation has immense reservoirs of strength that we have only begun to use, and our enemies have weaknesses that we are learning how to exploit. There is much more that we can do to protect ourselves." Okay, so let's wake up, meet the challenge, and do what we need to do to protect ourselves from the threat of terrorists using weapons of mass destruction against us.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Pvt Monica Brown
Yesterday, CBS aired a 60 Minutes story on Pvt Monica Brown, the second woman to be awarded the Silver Star since WWII. Pvt Brown, an Army medic, was awarded the medal for her bravery in risking her life by running through small arms and mortar fire to treat two critically wounded paratroopers, and shielding them with her body while they were evacuated. Both paratroopers survived. Pvt Brown was only 18-years old at the time, and had only 4 months training as a medic. Her story is a good one. If you missed it, you can check out the 60 Minutes story here.
Pvt Brown's story raises the question, again, whether women should be allowed in combat units. Now, being retired from the Air Force (and a woman) I have found no reason that women cannot perform just as well as men in a combat situation. There is no reason that women must be restricted from combat or front-line units (especially when there is no such thing as a "front line" in combat zones like Iraq or Afghanistan). Women are just as competent as men in stressful situations like combat. Just ask any stay-at-home Mom with an active toddler in the house.
Having said that women should be allowed in combat, I also have to say that I do not believe that physical requirements for combat units should be "gender-normed" just to allow women into the unit. In other words, if a woman can pass the same physical standards that the men are required to pass, she should be allowed to serve in a combat unit. If she can't pass, she shouldn't. It's that simple.
What do you think?
h/t GI Kate
Pvt Brown's story raises the question, again, whether women should be allowed in combat units. Now, being retired from the Air Force (and a woman) I have found no reason that women cannot perform just as well as men in a combat situation. There is no reason that women must be restricted from combat or front-line units (especially when there is no such thing as a "front line" in combat zones like Iraq or Afghanistan). Women are just as competent as men in stressful situations like combat. Just ask any stay-at-home Mom with an active toddler in the house.
Having said that women should be allowed in combat, I also have to say that I do not believe that physical requirements for combat units should be "gender-normed" just to allow women into the unit. In other words, if a woman can pass the same physical standards that the men are required to pass, she should be allowed to serve in a combat unit. If she can't pass, she shouldn't. It's that simple.
What do you think?
h/t GI Kate
BT's Circular Saw
At the side of this blog, I link to a number of blogs that I personally enjoy. The War on Big Tobacco is one of them. Big Tobacco is a "somewhat" irreverent Army Sergeant currently deployed to an unknown FOB somewhere in Iraq. His posts are sometimes humorous, sometimes poignant, but always well-written. I wanted to highlight one of his recent posts...about a circular saw. Go read it, it's good stuff! Keep it coming BT!
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a time for, well, giving thanks. I know I have a lot to be thankful for. I have three beautiful kids, who are strong, intelligent, and responsible adults. I'm thankful that two of those kids have found wonderful people to join them in their journey down life's road, and I pray that my third child will soon be able to join her life to the person she loves. I am also so thankful for my three fantastic, healthy grandchildren, who are the joy of their parent's lives (and mine). I love my kids, their spouses, and my grandbabies will all my heart. I'm thankful that my mother and father are well and healthy, and that they love and support me (no matter what). I'm thankful for my extended family; my siblings, my aunts and uncles, my cousins, nieces and nephews. A large, relatively close, and loving family is very special.
I'm also thankful for wonderful friends; the kind that will lend your their ear or their house, whenever you need either. I'm thankful for finding love and for discovering happiness. I'm thankful for so much this Thanksgiving. I hope you are, too.
I'm also thankful for wonderful friends; the kind that will lend your their ear or their house, whenever you need either. I'm thankful for finding love and for discovering happiness. I'm thankful for so much this Thanksgiving. I hope you are, too.
Attitude Adjustment
I had an interesting thought the other day. I almost left my purse in a restaurant. Scared me, because my purse is (like most women's purses) full of "stuff" I need; including a credit card (or two), my debit card, and other personal "stuff." Fortunately, I noticed the lack of significant weight on my shoulder and went back for the thing within 2 or 3 minutes. It was exactly where I left it, on the back of my chair. Fortunately! Anyway, my lack of attention made me think about people. Some people would have seen my unattended purse as an opportunity and felt somehow "entitled" to take whatever the opportunity provided. Others would have seen my purse as a duty and tried to find out who owned the thing and get it back to me. So what makes the two people have such differing attitudes? Is it upbringing? Is it genetics? Is it socialization?
I'm not sure I know why people would have such differing attitudes about an unattended purse; but I see the same sort of attitudes on a larger scale in today's society. For example, some people see government as a place where they can get free handouts. These people label the handouts "entitlements" and think that the government is obligated to give them something for nothing. Maybe that's what's behind the "bailout craze." Everyone seems to want the government to bail them out of bad decisions or difficult circumstances. They want something for nothing, and do not want to face consequences for their own decisions.
Other people believe that government has a duty to provide a certain level of infrastructure and support to our society and its citizens, but they also believe that they have a reciprocal duty to the government or to society. These people know that there is always a cost, of some sort or another. These people know that bailouts will have consequences, at some point in time. They know that bank bailouts, business bailouts, or personal bailouts only postpone the inevitable consequences, and does not eliminate them.
So where did this "bailout-everything" attitude come from? Does it come from the idea that government must "fix" all of society's ills? Does it come from the idea that government "owes" it to save us from the consequences of our bad decisions? If so, where did these ideas come from? What happened to the idea that people are responsible for their own decisions and actions? What happened to the idea of individual accountability? It scares me that we are allowing our society (which is based on freedom, and its counterpart responsibility) to shift focus to a society based on entitlement and lack of accountability. The society that will exist down that road will not be one that we recognize as "American." We need to adjust our collective attitudes before it's too late!
I'm not sure I know why people would have such differing attitudes about an unattended purse; but I see the same sort of attitudes on a larger scale in today's society. For example, some people see government as a place where they can get free handouts. These people label the handouts "entitlements" and think that the government is obligated to give them something for nothing. Maybe that's what's behind the "bailout craze." Everyone seems to want the government to bail them out of bad decisions or difficult circumstances. They want something for nothing, and do not want to face consequences for their own decisions.
Other people believe that government has a duty to provide a certain level of infrastructure and support to our society and its citizens, but they also believe that they have a reciprocal duty to the government or to society. These people know that there is always a cost, of some sort or another. These people know that bailouts will have consequences, at some point in time. They know that bank bailouts, business bailouts, or personal bailouts only postpone the inevitable consequences, and does not eliminate them.
So where did this "bailout-everything" attitude come from? Does it come from the idea that government must "fix" all of society's ills? Does it come from the idea that government "owes" it to save us from the consequences of our bad decisions? If so, where did these ideas come from? What happened to the idea that people are responsible for their own decisions and actions? What happened to the idea of individual accountability? It scares me that we are allowing our society (which is based on freedom, and its counterpart responsibility) to shift focus to a society based on entitlement and lack of accountability. The society that will exist down that road will not be one that we recognize as "American." We need to adjust our collective attitudes before it's too late!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
"It was a good day for the Marine Corps."
Military.com had an article on November 18th that described how a group of 30 Marines held off an insurgent ambush in Shewan, Farah Province, Afghanistan and, after an 8-hour battle, defeated about 250 insurgents. It's a great article, but the description of the battle is so good, I'll quote it here.
“The day started out with a 10-kilometer patrol with elements mounted and dismounted, so by the time we got to Shewan, we were pretty beat,” said a designated marksman who requested to remain unidentified. “Our vehicles came under a barrage of enemy RPGs (rocket propelled grenades) and machine gun fire. One of our ‘humvees’ was disabled from RPG fire, and the Marines inside dismounted and laid down suppression fire so they could evacuate a Marine who was knocked unconscious from the blast.”
The vicious attack that left the humvee destroyed and several of the Marines pinned down in the kill zone sparked an intense eight-hour battle as the platoon desperately fought to recover their comrades. After recovering the Marines trapped in the kill zone, another platoon sergeant personally led numerous attacks on enemy fortified positions while the platoon fought house to house and trench to trench in order to clear through the enemy ambush site.
“The biggest thing to take from that day is what Marines can accomplish when they’re given the opportunity to fight,” the sniper said. “A small group of Marines met a numerically superior force and embarrassed them in their own backyard. The insurgents told the townspeople that they were stronger than the Americans, and that day we showed them they were wrong.”
During the battle, the designated marksman single handedly thwarted a company-sized enemy RPG and machinegun ambush by reportedly killing 20 enemy fighters with his devastatingly accurate precision fire. He selflessly exposed himself time and again to intense enemy fire during a critical point in the eight-hour battle for Shewan in order to kill any enemy combatants who attempted to engage or maneuver on the Marines in the kill zone. What made his actions even more impressive was the fact that he didn’t miss any shots, despite the enemies’ rounds impacting within a foot of his fighting position.
"I was in my own little world,” the young corporal said. “I wasn’t even aware of a lot of the rounds impacting near my position, because I was concentrating so hard on making sure my rounds were on target.”
After calling for close-air support, the small group of Marines pushed forward and broke the enemies’ spirit as many of them dropped their weapons and fled the battlefield. At the end of the battle, the Marines had reduced an enemy stronghold, killed more than 50 insurgents and wounded several more.
“I didn’t realize how many bad guys there were until we had broken through the enemies’ lines and forced them to retreat. It was roughly 250 insurgents against 30 of us,” the corporal said. “It was a good day for the Marine Corps. We killed a lot of bad guys, and none of our guys were seriously injured.”
Good job, Marines, good job!
“The day started out with a 10-kilometer patrol with elements mounted and dismounted, so by the time we got to Shewan, we were pretty beat,” said a designated marksman who requested to remain unidentified. “Our vehicles came under a barrage of enemy RPGs (rocket propelled grenades) and machine gun fire. One of our ‘humvees’ was disabled from RPG fire, and the Marines inside dismounted and laid down suppression fire so they could evacuate a Marine who was knocked unconscious from the blast.”
The vicious attack that left the humvee destroyed and several of the Marines pinned down in the kill zone sparked an intense eight-hour battle as the platoon desperately fought to recover their comrades. After recovering the Marines trapped in the kill zone, another platoon sergeant personally led numerous attacks on enemy fortified positions while the platoon fought house to house and trench to trench in order to clear through the enemy ambush site.
“The biggest thing to take from that day is what Marines can accomplish when they’re given the opportunity to fight,” the sniper said. “A small group of Marines met a numerically superior force and embarrassed them in their own backyard. The insurgents told the townspeople that they were stronger than the Americans, and that day we showed them they were wrong.”
During the battle, the designated marksman single handedly thwarted a company-sized enemy RPG and machinegun ambush by reportedly killing 20 enemy fighters with his devastatingly accurate precision fire. He selflessly exposed himself time and again to intense enemy fire during a critical point in the eight-hour battle for Shewan in order to kill any enemy combatants who attempted to engage or maneuver on the Marines in the kill zone. What made his actions even more impressive was the fact that he didn’t miss any shots, despite the enemies’ rounds impacting within a foot of his fighting position.
"I was in my own little world,” the young corporal said. “I wasn’t even aware of a lot of the rounds impacting near my position, because I was concentrating so hard on making sure my rounds were on target.”
After calling for close-air support, the small group of Marines pushed forward and broke the enemies’ spirit as many of them dropped their weapons and fled the battlefield. At the end of the battle, the Marines had reduced an enemy stronghold, killed more than 50 insurgents and wounded several more.
“I didn’t realize how many bad guys there were until we had broken through the enemies’ lines and forced them to retreat. It was roughly 250 insurgents against 30 of us,” the corporal said. “It was a good day for the Marine Corps. We killed a lot of bad guys, and none of our guys were seriously injured.”
Good job, Marines, good job!
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Happy 6th Birthday, Princess!
Six years ago, today, the Lord blessed my daughter with a beautiful little girl. He chose a wonderful, bright spirit to join our family, and for that I thank Him each and every day. Our Princess is a wonder and a joy. She is as talented and as intelligent as her mother. She is sweet, lovable, giving, and funny. She brightens the day with her smiles. I know that every grandmother thinks their granddaughters are the best, the most, and the tops....but I'm lucky enough for it to be true. Our Princess really is a very special little girl. So, I want to use this post to wish her a very Happy Birthday. Even though I'm not there to celebrate it with her, she will be in my thoughts and heart all day; as she is everyday. I love her, as I do all of my family, with all of my being.
Happy 6th Birthday, Princess!!!
Happy 6th Birthday, Princess!!!
Saturday, November 22, 2008
"The Face of Grace"
CJ at A Soldier's Perspective posted an essay written by an Army Father in a Nov 20th blog entry. I loved the post so much that rather than just linking to it, I'll copy it here. It's wonderful, but I warn you; you'll need tissues.
I found this essay, written by the father of a deployed Soldier, on the American Legion website. It was introduced into the Congressional Record by Frank R. Wolf, R-Va, on September 16th. It's a very touching and inspirational story should be required reading by the defeatists in Congress. Here it is:
“Whatever your political take on the war in Iraq, nothing can alter it more than having a loved one in the midst of it. Nor is anyone’s current perspective balanced until they hear at least some things from a soldier’s point of view.
“My wife and I learned these truths when our son, a 2004 Handley graduate, decided to join the Army in 2006. His reasoning was simple: he wasn’t comfortable knowing that thousands of others his age were sacrificing their own freedoms to protect his. When he signed up to join those thousands, it changed our perspective as well.
“Up to that point, it had always been other people’s sons and daughters doing the fighting. Now it would be our own child. Naturally, no one wants their child to volunteer to go in harm’s way for freedom’s sake. It was something of a conviction, though, when my wife and I had to ask ourselves why it shouldn’t be our own son in the Middle East, why we should be spared the rituals of anxiety, prayer, hope and waiting that tens of thousands of other families over here have already endured.
“In early June, we flew to Fort Hood, Texas, to see our son deploy for a 15-month tour in Iraq. Again, one’s perspective is limited until one attends a deploying ceremony for a unit of soldiers. Spouses, children, parents, siblings and friends, all crowding a gym, all clinging closely to their treasures in uniform, accompanied by flags, prayers, cheers and tears. Our son had joined a ‘band of brothers.’ My wife and I had joined the ‘band of others’ who would be waiting at home. Both those going, and those left behind, carry the war on terror in a personal way.
“Still, those of us left behind need to see something of what our soldiers see, and not only what is offered us in the news. To that end, here is one story our son, Luke, shared with us by phone that must be shared with anyone who claims an interest in what our soldiers are doing in the Middle East.
“Stationed outside a city on the Tigris River, Luke had accompanied his colonel into town as part of a security team, while the colonel spoke with a local sheik. While standing guard, Luke noticed a woman approaching from behind and cautiously turned in her direction, his rifle at the ready.
“An interpreter told our son it was OK – the woman just wanted to touch a soldier. Still uneasy, Luke stood still while the woman reached out her hand and touched his face, tears in her eyes.
“Looking to the interpreter for meaning, our son was told that the woman simply ‘wanted to touch the face of grace.’ It seems this trembling woman, like most of the people in her town, looked upon our soldiers as angels of grace, sent by God to protect her from the violence and oppression her people had come to know up to then. Learning this, our son squeezed and kissed the woman’s hand, and she left, weeping.
“The ‘face of grace.’ How many of us, safe at home debating the politics of the war on terror, have ever seen our soldiers in such a light? How many of us have even read such an uplifting newspaper account of our soldiers?
“To be sure, our soldiers are not virtuous simply by being soldiers. At home in their ‘civvies’ they are as un-angelic as the rest of us. Yet when they voluntarily get into ‘full battle rattle’ (as they call their battle gear) in a hot and hostile land, their job is both protective and sacrificial – as angelic a purpose as humans can take on.
“People like this woman, having suffered years of oppression and fear, have eyes and a heart to see this, and the desire to “‘touch the face of grace.’ Do we have the ability to see our soldiers in the same way? And not merely our soldiers: Can we see the ‘face of grace’ in the police who protect us in every town, day and night? Or in the fire and rescue teams who are ‘soldiers’ in their own right?
“My wife and I obviously pray that our son and his ‘band of brothers’ will come safely home to their personal ‘band of others.’ After listening to our son’s experience, though, we have added the prayer that Americans in every community will be given the eyes and heart to see the ‘Face of Grace’ in all who protect our lives and freedoms – especially in soldiers like our son.”
I found this essay, written by the father of a deployed Soldier, on the American Legion website. It was introduced into the Congressional Record by Frank R. Wolf, R-Va, on September 16th. It's a very touching and inspirational story should be required reading by the defeatists in Congress. Here it is:
“Whatever your political take on the war in Iraq, nothing can alter it more than having a loved one in the midst of it. Nor is anyone’s current perspective balanced until they hear at least some things from a soldier’s point of view.
“My wife and I learned these truths when our son, a 2004 Handley graduate, decided to join the Army in 2006. His reasoning was simple: he wasn’t comfortable knowing that thousands of others his age were sacrificing their own freedoms to protect his. When he signed up to join those thousands, it changed our perspective as well.
“Up to that point, it had always been other people’s sons and daughters doing the fighting. Now it would be our own child. Naturally, no one wants their child to volunteer to go in harm’s way for freedom’s sake. It was something of a conviction, though, when my wife and I had to ask ourselves why it shouldn’t be our own son in the Middle East, why we should be spared the rituals of anxiety, prayer, hope and waiting that tens of thousands of other families over here have already endured.
“In early June, we flew to Fort Hood, Texas, to see our son deploy for a 15-month tour in Iraq. Again, one’s perspective is limited until one attends a deploying ceremony for a unit of soldiers. Spouses, children, parents, siblings and friends, all crowding a gym, all clinging closely to their treasures in uniform, accompanied by flags, prayers, cheers and tears. Our son had joined a ‘band of brothers.’ My wife and I had joined the ‘band of others’ who would be waiting at home. Both those going, and those left behind, carry the war on terror in a personal way.
“Still, those of us left behind need to see something of what our soldiers see, and not only what is offered us in the news. To that end, here is one story our son, Luke, shared with us by phone that must be shared with anyone who claims an interest in what our soldiers are doing in the Middle East.
“Stationed outside a city on the Tigris River, Luke had accompanied his colonel into town as part of a security team, while the colonel spoke with a local sheik. While standing guard, Luke noticed a woman approaching from behind and cautiously turned in her direction, his rifle at the ready.
“An interpreter told our son it was OK – the woman just wanted to touch a soldier. Still uneasy, Luke stood still while the woman reached out her hand and touched his face, tears in her eyes.
“Looking to the interpreter for meaning, our son was told that the woman simply ‘wanted to touch the face of grace.’ It seems this trembling woman, like most of the people in her town, looked upon our soldiers as angels of grace, sent by God to protect her from the violence and oppression her people had come to know up to then. Learning this, our son squeezed and kissed the woman’s hand, and she left, weeping.
“The ‘face of grace.’ How many of us, safe at home debating the politics of the war on terror, have ever seen our soldiers in such a light? How many of us have even read such an uplifting newspaper account of our soldiers?
“To be sure, our soldiers are not virtuous simply by being soldiers. At home in their ‘civvies’ they are as un-angelic as the rest of us. Yet when they voluntarily get into ‘full battle rattle’ (as they call their battle gear) in a hot and hostile land, their job is both protective and sacrificial – as angelic a purpose as humans can take on.
“People like this woman, having suffered years of oppression and fear, have eyes and a heart to see this, and the desire to “‘touch the face of grace.’ Do we have the ability to see our soldiers in the same way? And not merely our soldiers: Can we see the ‘face of grace’ in the police who protect us in every town, day and night? Or in the fire and rescue teams who are ‘soldiers’ in their own right?
“My wife and I obviously pray that our son and his ‘band of brothers’ will come safely home to their personal ‘band of others.’ After listening to our son’s experience, though, we have added the prayer that Americans in every community will be given the eyes and heart to see the ‘Face of Grace’ in all who protect our lives and freedoms – especially in soldiers like our son.”
Where are the New Leaders?
Colonel Oliver North has a great editorial on FoxNEWS. In it he makes the point that the Republican party, specifically, and America, generally, needs to look for new, strong, leaders to take us forward and meet the challenges of the future. I agree. The "same-old, same-old" pork-barrel politicians currently in power just won't do. Most of them have become invested in their own arrogance of power. Sad, but true.
So where does Colonel North suggest we look for these new leaders? In the military. He explains,
"Today, there are only 129 members of Congress who have served in our Armed Forces. Since the end of World War II, the ratio of veterans in Congress has been closer to fifty-fifty. The GOP can fix that by reaching out now to the best and bravest of this generation — the remarkable young Americans serving in our Armed Forces. They are all volunteers, part of the brightest, best-educated and most combat-experienced military any nation has ever had and they don't have false illusions about the way things are in the rest of the world.
From personal experience they know that America is one of a handful of places on earth where you can drink water out of the tap or flick a light switch and the lights will come on. They are aware that in the U.S. you can go to a store and buy almost anything you want; that when you call the police you do not expect brutality to show up at your door.
The young men and women who have served our country in uniform know that America is one of the rare places on the globe where you can get in a car and drive anywhere in the country with nothing more than a driver's license and a credit card. They appreciate that every citizen has rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Military service has taught them that competence, courage, integrity, perseverance, and compassion are rewarded. Those qualities make them natural leaders."
In my opinion, Colonel North has hit the jackpot with this suggestion. We don't need toadies or narcissists who want the power and arrogance that comes the power. We need leaders who know how to serve. We need leaders with experience in evaluating a situation and making a decision. We need leaders with good judgment. The military serves as a crucible for developing the leadership qualities we need in our public servants, at all levels. We need to encourage our citizens who have served in the military to consider extending their service by running for political office; whether it be the local school board, the state legislature, or the US Congress. We need leadership!
So where does Colonel North suggest we look for these new leaders? In the military. He explains,
"Today, there are only 129 members of Congress who have served in our Armed Forces. Since the end of World War II, the ratio of veterans in Congress has been closer to fifty-fifty. The GOP can fix that by reaching out now to the best and bravest of this generation — the remarkable young Americans serving in our Armed Forces. They are all volunteers, part of the brightest, best-educated and most combat-experienced military any nation has ever had and they don't have false illusions about the way things are in the rest of the world.
From personal experience they know that America is one of a handful of places on earth where you can drink water out of the tap or flick a light switch and the lights will come on. They are aware that in the U.S. you can go to a store and buy almost anything you want; that when you call the police you do not expect brutality to show up at your door.
The young men and women who have served our country in uniform know that America is one of the rare places on the globe where you can get in a car and drive anywhere in the country with nothing more than a driver's license and a credit card. They appreciate that every citizen has rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Military service has taught them that competence, courage, integrity, perseverance, and compassion are rewarded. Those qualities make them natural leaders."
In my opinion, Colonel North has hit the jackpot with this suggestion. We don't need toadies or narcissists who want the power and arrogance that comes the power. We need leaders who know how to serve. We need leaders with experience in evaluating a situation and making a decision. We need leaders with good judgment. The military serves as a crucible for developing the leadership qualities we need in our public servants, at all levels. We need to encourage our citizens who have served in the military to consider extending their service by running for political office; whether it be the local school board, the state legislature, or the US Congress. We need leadership!
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