A thousand high fives a day quota

One of the great things about attending the Jamboree was being surrounded by the young men and women that find patriotism not to be passe or a trend, but inherent in their everyday lives. Their support, admiration and affection of the military was inspiring and humbling. As I was walking down the hot paved road against the wall of Scouts and leaders pushing the other way I would be awakened from my heat-induced, walking slumber with the near cry, “high five,” only to get my hand up, most times, just in time to slap the sweaty hand of a young Scout.

If you attended any of the Arena Shows it would be apparent from the beginning what their stance was on the military. A speaker didn’t get up without first thanking the military for their support of the Jamboree or sacrifice to our country in this time of war. The fact that these young people are raised to support and respect the military with unfettered infatuation, honestly, puts pressure on me to act appropriately as we walk the grounds of the Jamboree taking photos of the military supporting this great event.

We are demi-gods in our own right to them because we are the end personification of the goal of the Boy Scouts. We, in flesh and uniform, are the the commitment of service to one’s community and country that is the keystone of scouting. “On my honor, I will do my best, to do my duty, to God and my Country,” is the beginning of the Scout Oath.

“I want to be an Army Ranger,” said many of the young men. “I’m going to join the [insert branch here],” was heard many times over the course of two weeks. While the admiration and support is great, the innocence of it disturbed me until I saw something at the opening Arena Show. I can’t remember the speaker but the man at the front of the 50,000 Scouts and leaders asked them all to give a hand in support of the military supporting the Jamboree and protecting them overseas. Then, as if that wasn’t touching enough, he asked that all of those who have a relative currently serving in the Armed Forces please stand, and with that nearly 3/5ths of the audience rose.

That’s when I realized most of these young people not only get it but they live it. They live the sacrifice of missing a parent for a year or more at a time. They live the sacrifice of a parent missing life’s minor and major events. Some are even living the pain of dealing with a family member returning from war scarred physically or mentally. Their admiration is unfettered and made stronger not out of a lack of consciousness of those sacrifices but because of them. Their is no innocence in that admiration. They aren’t just drinking the Kool-Aid their parents gave them. At the end of the day, if I count them all up, I gave maybe a hundred or more high fives to kids who need it or deserve it more than me, and accepted them on behalf of my brothers and sisters in the Armed Forces, many of whom, certainly, need or deserve one more than me, then so be it, sore hand and all. “High five!” Smack!

Boy Scouts and supporting the National Scout Jamboree Part I

An informal AAR of the event that my unit, the 14th PAD and it’s seven Soldiers attended. This is not the official opinion of the JTF-NSJ, the U.S. Army, or the DOD. Unlicensed reproduction or distribution without the express written consent of the NFL is strictly prohibited.

So, I got to spend two weeks at Fort A.P. Hill, Va. from July 20th to August 5th supporting the National Scout Jamboree. It may come as a surprise to most people that there is actually a military Joint Task Force with a Brigadier General as commander, assigned to support the BSA with this event every 4 years since it has been held on a military installation. The JTF is about 2,000 service members comprising of everything from firemen, military police, logistics, medics, entomologists and yes, of course, public affairs.

It’s a large event with more than 50,000 scouts and leaders in attendance and 20,000 visitors expected. This year is the Centennial Celebration of the founding of the Boy Scouts of America in 1910, so it only compounds the issue with the number of people that would be interested in attending this event. The Jamboree which is usually held every four years was delayed one year to allow for it to take place on the centennial.
The military support to the event is a joint operation. All services and all components were represented from the active duty Marines and Army to the Air Force Reserve and Coast Guard Auxiliary. Much like Captain Planet these forces only combine when rings are held together and magical words are incanted.

So, basically one week before the event there is an exercise to ensure that everyone is on the same page concerning consequence management, reaction drills and most importantly powerpoint slide format. Heaven knows that the military would stop operating without Outlook and Powerpoint. If Powerpoint stops then we essentially stand up walk out of our offices and don’t return. It’s in the contracts, read it sometime.

Exercises are great when done with realism and when designed to test the limits of the system. The JTF exercise was pretty impressive with every thing from moulage, fake damaged body parts and blood, to on-post shooting incident exercise, to protests, and the introduction of a certain pushy, hard-nosed, NBC affiliate reporter, Chip Chipperson. Let me tell you, Chip Chipperson is a real asshole. His slogan, “Chip Chipperson doesn’t report the news he makes the news.” Chip is my newsman alter-ego with the quick-wit of Keith Olbermann and the paranoia and delusion of Glenn Beck and Alex Jones.

Here’s the deal though, when you bring 2,000 people together from 5 services, 4 components of those services, and about a hundrity bajillion different units no one really knows what they are supposed to do or what the other guy isn’t supposed to do for the first couple of days. Cue Yakety Sax. That’s what should be playing for the first few days. Because really it’s just people running in and out of doors being chased by a half-naked, middle-aged man.

But with the help of a good, realistic exercise those kinks are worked out and create at least a functional unit and eliminates the need for Yakety Sax or Benny Hill.

So, the first two days we were there we both documented and participated in the exercise. Plane crashes, media engagements, on-post shooter incident, out of control protestors, out of control fire. I think at the end of the two days of the exercise the JTF could say they were prepared for anything short of the alien abduction of a Boy Scout and even then I’m sure NORTHCOM and NORAD have some sort of contingency plan they fall to for that sort of thing.

...More to follow...

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“A thousand high-fives a day quota.”

Fucktards II: A rant...

The Tea Party is the largest group of near-sighted assholes I have ever had the privledge of witnessing. Fueled ideologically by the idiotic rants of failed shock-jock, opportunist, and moron-cult leader Glenn Beck, founded by a man who lobbied for terrorist organizations in the US, Dick Armey, and funded at the grass-tip, not roots, by ... See Morecorporations.I was at the 9-12 protest in D.C. and they have nothing but hate. It was a bunch of angry, spoiled almost all white people bitching about something they knew absolutely nothing about based on conspiracy theories and Fox News propaganda. They are sheep. I say give them what they want. Put their leaders in office and let them burn the country down around them.

Their platform is full of holes and contradictions. If you're against spending where were you when Reagan TRIPLED the national debt and Bush doubled it? If you're worried about jobs where were you when Bush lost 1.5 million jobs over the course of two terms? If you're concerned about oil spills where where you when the MMS was literally in bed with the oil lobby doing cocaine in a Denver hotel room with the same lobbyists and when Dick Cheney held actual SECRET meetings to establish US energy strategy with the oil companies? That's the exact definition of Fascism. Confronting these morons did no good then and does no good now. They would just go back to their retarded talking points about birth certificates and Saul Alinsky. They are stupid, ignorant, paranoid and delusional...all of them. If it's not about race, if it's not about party affiliation then where were they for the 8 years of Bush violating their supposed "platform" 100 times worse than Obama? None of them, and none that I've confronted, talked to, argued with can answer that simple question.

Fucktards

I mean is there a better word to summarize a movement of fat, self-righteous, racist, nearly all white, Chrisitan people, naming their political movment after an act of sodomy all the while sucking the government tit for medicare and social security complaining about big government. God, I hate these people I wish they would just go away.
The reason America even recognizes them is because we always feel bad for retarded or slow people. It's kind of like saying, "Awww ain't that precious. Look at the flop and flail around out there." That' s all their doing is flailing and saying, "Nuh-uh" to everything Obama does and says between their Socialism-Tourettes where they just spew words they don't know the meaning for and string them into a diatribe of insults. "Commie-Social-Facsist-Muslim lover." What the hell does that even mean? Most of them attended the Sarah Palin School of Debate for Tourettes Syndrome. That's it. Sarah Palin doesn't make sense because she has Tourettes Syndrome. When she's speaking it's just a epileptical Tourettes Syndrome tick.

I feel much better now that I have that out of my system.
That's just some of it. It's been piling up for awhile.

Theses

Well, looks like taking command of an 8-person unit is not nearly as easy as you think. Thanks to all the support functions company-level units have to perform having more people is actually better. Fortunately, the PA soldiers are just as capable as artillery soldiers when it comes to working outside your MOS and just getting the job done because really that's all we can do at this point. HAHA!
We just did the change of command a little over a week ago and I feel like I've been here for months.
Got a lot to do in very little time for upcoming missions but my procratination is getting the best of me because really who wants to practice going to MOPP 4 when it's 100 outside. Not me. Blah.

Baggers in the Sky with Diamonds

Tea Baggers to Arms, to arms, they want to end a NASA program. First, I doubt that a majority of Americans can tell you what NASA means. There are just a few problems with the Tea Party outraged for the continued funding of the space program. First of all, the Tea Party doesn’t like science and space travel is all science. A majority of the Tea Partiers are Christian and a majority of those are young-earther’s which is the modern equivalent of flat-earthers. People who believe, like Sarah Palin, that the Earth/universe is 6,000 years old and dinosaur fossils were planted by Satan to trick us. I only say that they are mostly Christian because as stated by Palin the real America isn't east-coast secualrists. I can only assume that means mid-western atheists by association. I find it hilarious that these mostly scientifically-ignorant people, who don’t believe in science are so aghast at the end-run of a space program that was defunded under the Bush administration. Their best guess is that the spaceship is powered by magic Jesus dust and astronauts pass God and angels sitting on clouds as they shoot into space. Space, which was created 6,000 years ago by their almighty God, you remember, is the final frontier. Now it’s about the technology and the jobs. But, do you really want a government agency to be a jobs program? So, if they don’t want the science, since all scientists are liars beholden to their god Darwin, and they don’t want government creating jobs what do they want from NASA? I guess really when it comes down to it they just appreciate a good memory-foam mattress to kneel next to as they talk under their breath to the omnipotent, imaginary father-figure-in-the-sky.

Republican'ts

May I present the monarchy of anarchy...

First, they are the party of no government and self-proclaimed party of “no.” So, why vote for them to have a government job if they don’t like the government? Go get one of those private industry jobs that are so easy to find nowadays. I mean, afterall, you are just inflating the unemployment numbers by being employed by the government. They would rather shut everything down than have a debate about what is actually going on and what needs to be done. So, when they lose instead of becoming the reasonable minority adding to the debate, they close down debate and offer nothing but their backs; throwing fits like my four-year-old. Yelling out obscenities, not able to wait their turn to speak, not respecting the decorum and comity of the Congress or Senate. And I’m not talking about the protestors, they can do whatever the hell they want, I’m talking about the ‘leaders,’ the elected representatives.

These are the same people who whined,“Reagan [-Christ] never even took his jacket off in the oval office.” Then their elected representatives, not once, but twice have breached common etiquette and protocol in the Chamber. They are like an uncontrollable four-year-old throwing fits and tantrums, who can’t wait their turn in line or to speak. They can’t follow simple rules we learn in Kindergarten.

Next, the party is full of nepotism. It’s passed from one dynasty to the next. First the Bush’s now the Cheneys. There is always an heir apparent and it seems to always be in the bloodline of one of the former party leaders. Republicans are the party of monarchies and dynasties. Not to mentions Struass and the Kristols the fathers of neo-conservativism, more properly called neo-liberalism, but that is for another day.

Next, they defend the undefendable and sell America out at any cost. Liz Cheney has decided to defend her father’s oil cartel buddy Karzai after he made comments saying that he might join the Taliban. If anything they should be calling for his head not defending him. But oil is worth more than the American soldier putting his ass on the line to prop up that puppet regime so Halliburton can put their pipeline in Black Sea. They are essentially selling the American soldier down the road out of their loyalty to a drug-oil cartel. What do you know? Their foreign policy is exactly the same as their domestic policy. Prop up the drug-oil cartels at any and all costs. Drill, baby, drill. Kill, baby, kill.

I guess you have to ask yourself, do you want to be a member of the party of crying four-year-olds who didn’t get their way so they’re taking their ball and going home? Well, do you?

The whole debate from liberal to conservative, dove to hawk, pro-choice to pro-life, isolationist to neo-con (neo-lib) can be had in the Democratic Party. What use do we have for a bunch of whining crybabies who just take their toys and go home when we have some serious ‘playing’ to do?

Atheist Ireland fights blasphemy law with publication of 25 blasphemous quotes

"From today, 1 January 2010, the new Irish blasphemy law becomes operational, and we begin our campaign to have it repealed. Blasphemy is now a crime punishable by a €25,000 fine. The new law defines blasphemy as publishing or uttering matter that is grossly abusive or insulting in relation to matters held sacred by any religion, thereby intentionally causing outrage among a substantial number of adherents of that religion, with some defences permitted."

Read more by clicking the title...

Fort Hood Nov 5th

As someone who is at Fort Hood, and was there that day, and has had to work very hard cleaning up the aftermath, I appreciate President Obama's thoughtfulness in this matter. I was at Fort Hood, in lockdown when the shooting was going on. I proceeded to work for nearly two days straight with little rest. My job as a public affairs officer is to answer media requests, do interviews, and set interviews up. Believe me there was no time for rest in the first day.

I was there when everyone from Pres. Obama to the CJCS visited. My wife was at the hospital when former President G.W. Bush made an unannounced and low-profile trip to visit the wounded simply out of care, respect, and concern. I was there answering phone calls, emails and letters from people all across the world sending their condolences to our military community. The calls came from Germany, California, Nebraska, Indiana and New York. I was there as I watched Senator John McCain, a hero himself, and Senator Al Franken sit next to each other at a ceremony to honor our fallen. But most importantly I was there as an American to watch as politics and parties were cast away to show respect for the fallen and support for the families and comrades left behind to deal with the aftermath. I’ve heard the amazing life stories of the Soldiers we lost and saw the respect given to those left behind. I have watched as those morals, values and laws that service members have defended with their life are put to the test as we allow the law enforcement officials and courts, not the court of public opinion, to determine guilt or innocence of the accused in such a heinous crime. That is what America is, that is what makes America great. I watched as hands were reached from inside our protected compound to the Islamic community outside our gates to share in our grief. I watched as a battle-hardened Sergeant and combat medic cried as he tried to come to grips with why a religion that gives him peace and the solace to deal with combat was being perverted to justify and laud the actions of the accused killer.

Let’s remember the fallen but let’s not forgot those left behind. The units those soldiers came from will still deploy to combat environments and will return. Ironically and hopefully, never having to encounter any situation of this magnitude on their deployment. Let us not forget the peaceful part of the Islamic community that wishes for justice the same as everyone else and considers this actions deplorable by any human being. My hope is that we will be able to move through this event while showing those great American values of equality, justice, compassion and fairness. My hope is that America’s true colors shine through the clouds of this tragic storm.

Would the Cheneys please go away

The Cheney cabal always seems to surprise me with their hypocrisy and cynicism.

Liz Cheney says that she thinks Obama used his landing and Dover and honoring the fallen from a pretty significant week of casualties in Afghanistan was a political stunt. This visit to the remains of the fallen foreshadows a pretty significant coming fortnight where the President will decide whether or not to up the ante in Afghanistan, and possibly increase the number of flag-draped coffins that would be in-transit to loved ones across the United States from that Dover airfield.

This assumption is based on the cynicism that everyone is like the Cheneys. That every move is to our own personal gain and not for the benefit of others. That's because 5-time-deferment-vice-coward-in-chief Dick Cheney and spawn would not know selfless service if it flew out of the sky and shot them in the face with bird shot. At every turn in their "public" service career they have used it for private gain, as Dick Cheney also used his lack of service in Vietnam, a war he cheered, for his own personal gain. Any time they have been put in a position of leadership or power they have used it to benefit them or their oligarchy.

So, no, they probably wouldn't believe or understand that someone could do something like President Obama did in visiting those remains and families as they flew in from a combat zone, as he makes the decision that will have to fix the mess left behind by them. The current administration is the cleaning crew that has been hired to clean up the mess left behind when Cheney and their closest friends threw a drunken frat party gone awry in administration of a country putting in collapse and two wars on the brink of loss. They disappeared like teenagers who knew they parents were coming home and knew they didn't want to be around to suffer the consequences of their power-orgy.

VP Cheney and kin, the parents are home now, and they are cleaning up your mess, you would be best to keep your mouth shut pretend you were never at the party. Everytime you open your mouth all you do is implicate yourself in the most failed administration of the Presidency in history.

You can see the pictures of the flag-draped coffins, or the dying Marine but it's completely different to experience it first-hand. It's completely different to hear the cries of agony come out of a woman who has just been told that she is a widow. President Obama showing up to see what the consequence of his future actions could be first-hand, shows me he understands the gravity of what he may or may not do in committing more forces to Afghanistan. You see, the President never served in the military and he realizes that there are experiences he has never had, he is not arrogant enough to assume that he could know what emotion those flag-draped coffins convey in person. This only makes more confident in the decision he may make, because he is taking it all in and computing all the costs his decisions could tally.

PG-13 Version of My Mind on Sunday at Starbucks waiting for my updates to download

Sunday is dress up day for the crazies. Here they go, in and out of the Starbucks to get the caffeine they’ll need to stay awake while some person stands in front of them and talks about Aesop’s fables and good standards of conduct. They have to do it. They have believe. They have to be good under punishment under eternal torture. Let us not be good for decencies sake but only if I get something out of it in the end.

The more they dress-up the more they are telling the people around them how devoted they are to the idea of an imaginary man in the sky, that had an imaginary son, that died for the things the people in charge of talking to the imaginary man call sins. So, the more dressed up the more crazy. I mean, I just saw a guy with a suit and bow-tie. Bow-tie, really. Is that necessary. probably not, but I have to admit it did look sharp.

That’s another thing. I’m intimidated by stores. I went into J. Crew yesterday. They had some pretty snazzy looking outfits on mannequins. I’m trying to branch out of cargo pants and jeans. After all, I get to wear cargo pants everyday why wear them in my off time.

Yesterday I went to get my uniform fixed. We get to put stripes on our right arm for overseas service. I asked for 5 and the Privates in line behind me looked at me like I was a God. And that’s good because I am. Not really, just kidding. But I did have to explain what they were and why you get them. You have to admire they young kids. And they’re young too. Think about it. People born in 1991 are now joining the military. They don’t even know who Nirvana is. They’ve been raised on computers, Britney Spears and pop-junk culture of brain-dead reality television.

I have to admit television is making a come-back. House, Bones, Mad Men, alot of good shows and not enough time to watch them.

I wonder if Alissa will make me watch Bones when I get home? Oh, Curb starts today I need to remind Alissa to record it.

Yeah Curb and Seinfeld will be on it. I can’t wait.

Pink Nikes really. that’s a bold statement. An untied tie hung around the neck, I don’t know what’s going on with that. I think he’s waiting to tie it, but it looks cool like that.

Sipping coffee through a straw everyone knows real men drink coffee hot, with whipped cream.

Boy or girl? Boy or girl? Boy or girl? Shit!! Uhhhhh, BOY! Yesssss, initial instinct was correct.

Hat.

Brushguard on a Yukon. In Texas, OK. But I don’t think you need it between Baltimore and D.C.

That guy is tall. He plays basketball. Lady just laughed at how tall he is. He must be 6’7“.

I must look angry because people look at me an turn around. These people are hilarious. Uh, bow-tie. I wish I could wear a bow-tie. White people and bow-ties don’t work though. You better be going to a wedding, debutante ball or Presidential Gala. Black guy with bow-tie some reason works.

Mocha is getting cold, must drink it. PAUSE>>>

Almost choked on aforementioned mocha.

This place is odd. The racial mix seems to be about 50/50. Very unlike Texas and Indiana. Indiana they try though.

Redskins Hats are big here. For the longest time I thought the redskins were in Washington not D.C. I hate sports. ESPN is the largest waste of electromagnetic spectrum. People could do so much more if they didn’t spend their time memorizing completely fucking useless sports trivia. Or maybe it’s good people don’t do more. I am a cynic after all. People should do less, way less. Or more. Maybe smart people that I agree with should do more and the people I disagree with should do less. So, it’s settled then. Less is more. Exactly. Time to go to Barnes and Noble to find a book about Afghanistan an it’s history.

Very interested in their past. That’s what connected it for me and Iraq. Of course, I had visited places the book talked about so it was very tangible. Be careful what you wish for. Looks like there is no limit on the amount of lives, blood and treasure we will soak into propping up a puppet government there. Ergo, I will probably be there before too long.

Did you know that when you write lists example: ”The dog is black, white and brown.” You don’t put a comma before the conjunction. I was taught just the opposite in school. Have I been alive long enough that the English language has evolved an evolution or was I taught wrong.

I will be fucking surprised if anyone reads this whole thing.

Sacrifice. What Sacrifice?

I was participating in a project to streamline logistics systems in the Iraq theater when the group of us working on the project were visited by the general in charge of the project. He looked at us very sternly and said, “This war is bankrupting our country and we can’t plan on fighting it the same way we have in the past.” I use quotes because it struck me so hard that I remembered exactly what he said. I have to be honest, until that moment I thought we had an unlimited amount of money to fight and win these wars.

It was very sobering to hear someone that high up the chain say those words. Essentially, he wanted to focus on getting the most bang for our bucks because the bucks are running out.

That leads me to this.

The CBO is looking for ways to cut money from the military budget. They’ve made suggestions ranging from cutting pay increases to increasing taxes.

I would like to point out a few things I have noticed. First, when dealing with logistics I am appalled and never surprised by the amount of money that we spend hiring a single contractor to do the job of one soldier in theater. The cost per capita for a contractor is way more than a soldier. We need to use fewer contractors. We can do this two ways: 1) allowing soldiers to do the job we pay them to do. This is an unpopular option, especially with the current OPTEMPO already faced by Soldiers. This would lead to making soldiers deploy without proper dwell time. The thought is not appealing to me either, after having done 2 extended deployments. 2) Begin cutting contractor provided services in theater. This would mean that Soldiers would have to do without certain amenities currently afforded. Those amenities would be clean water, electricity, billeting, warm food, vehicle repair and parts etc. Again not appealing to me either. This would mean once again asking the service member to sacrifice. This would mean an overall drawdown of the infrastructure we have spent so long building.

Other than asking more sacrifice from those already risking life and limb, we could ask the American people to actually pay for the wars that we are fighting for them. That is code for raising taxes by the way. We have actually done the opposite of what every country in recorded history has done, lowered taxes in a time of war. Considering no more has been asked of the American public than that they continue shopping since the beginning of these campaigns. If the American people actually consider not paying for the war then we withdrawal. We are the American Army this is supposedly a war to protect them, if they don’t want to pay then we can’t play.

This especially struck as I watched the Teabaggers yesterday in D.C. Their messages were inconsistent. I would see a sign that said, “Don’t Raise My Taxes,” next to a sign that said, “Support the Troops.” These people, the anti-tax advocates, seem to be oblivious that China is paying for the troops to fight these wars because they can’t be bothered to pay more taxes, and asking people of any political persuasion to pay more taxes is unpopular and a death-knell for a politicians career. If the American people and our Representatives are serious about supporting the troops, I think it’s time they prove it by not asking us, ‘the troops,’ to sacrifice anymore than we already do daily. It’s time for us to be realistic that fighting wars isn’t cheap and we can’t put it on the credit card without destroying our country. We have already spent enough money to pay for healthcare for all Americans ten-fold. I would also like to see these people with the Chinese-made yellow-ribbon magnets put their money where their magnet is.

The military should, of course, be good stewards of the equipment and supplies under our purview. Even with 100% efficient systems there will be waste. Not to mention, nation-building is not cheap and doing it in two countries also raises the cost significantly. One of those countries not having any great infrastructure compounds an already significantly expensive operation.

The bottom line is that this war is bankrupting our country, and it seems the country, our representatives and civilian leaders have no problem asking us, the service member, to sacrifice, more and more and more. If America as a whole wants to continue these wars they should be forced to pay for them. They should be forced to feel the sting of sacrifice for these things that are, supposedly, so important to them. Once that sting hits them we’ll see how important these exercises in nation-building are to them as bridges collapse in Minnesota, aging, out-dated power grids fail in California and state governments shut down because they no longer have the capital to provide services to their citizens. Really where should their sacrifice be going?

Freedom is on the march and it gets shot by the Taliban

First of all my condolences to the family and all those affected and effected by the loss of someone close to them in these wars.

The AP editor’s recent decision to show a dying Marine on the front page may be morally reprehensible to some but to me I find it refreshing. It’s about time someone shows the unvarnished truth of sacrifice from this war on terror, or global contingency operations, or overseas contingency operations or whatever the new term is today. It is strange that in the age of media we are getting less information like this from the press due to America’s willingness and ignorance to sop up fluff peddled by Generals, Presidents, and Representatives. I guess it’s OK to say that 4 soldiers died so long as Americans don’t have to actually witness it. Don’t impugn their ivory castles of flat screen TVs and big, gas-guzzling SUV’s to show the actual sacrifice being made on their behalf. I think the outrage from the general public is not one of horror that something like this could be shown to them, but that it was, and this picture reminds them of what they too often forget. It reminds them of what is actually meant in those crushed seconds between the GM and Bank Of America commericals when the anchorperson says that X number of service members died today in some far-off land that most of them and their children can’t point to on a map. Do you not want to know how they die? Is all that matters to you is that we sacrifice? Would you rather wash the gory details from your conscience with your yellow ribbon magnet on the back of your SUV?

Let’s not even get into the hypocrisy of the Marine dying for ‘freedom’ as we would like to censor the press for doing it’s job. If I die in the combat zone, which is likely as my luck runs out from two extended deployments, I want the picture of how I died on the front page of every paper. But unfortunately the deaths of service members aren’t big news. We’ve been dying for eight years and we’ll die for eight years more, and after. I think the biggest bone of contention here is that we don’t know for what that Marine died. Maybe, that is finally permeating the conscience of America. That we have citizens dying overseas and we don’t know for what end, especially if we Americans, out of a sense of false outrage to protect us from our own ignorance, are going to usurp the jingoistic and Orwellian reasons of freedom and the spreading of Jeffersonian democracy that we use to send combat forces to these exotic lands at the drop of a hat. A little inward introspection of our own outrage may be in order.

My Generation's Korean Conflict: The Forgotten War

Having done two extended deployments myself I understand the hardship that those soldiers from the 82nd Division HQ Battalion will face over that extra 52 days. It's 52 more chances to die or get injured essentially 52 more hands of poker with death and injury as the ante.

Why now does Afghanistan matter? Why after 8 fucking years is this war now registering with the leadership and the American public?

First, it's not about OBL. OBL is dead. Get over it. If we kill him he's a martyr if we capture him he becomes a target. So, now after 8 years people want to win the hearts and minds. We can win their hearts and minds. It's not our job our right our duty to protect and defend the constitution of Afghanistan. They now teach in Army strategic doctrine that one of our main purposes is to "protect American interests." Yeah, surprised the shit out of me too. GEN Smedley Butler and "War is a Racket" ring a bell. I don't know what Afghanistan is about now. But anything...anything we do is too little way, way, way the FUCK TOO LATE.

Really, you think after killing these people and occupying them for eight years we are now going to change their minds about western culture and democracy. That would be great if that's what they wanted. We're talking about a band of roving gypsies that settled down in the valleys a thousand years ago that have been invaded multiple times and lived the invasions out. They are not going to leave, but we are. We might as well leave without wasting more lives and treasure. Some wars are winnable, we have 3,000 years of evidence that a land war in Asia is not winnable.

I appreciate the leadership shown by our senior Generals and civilian leadership. It seems after EIGHT YEARS that the war in Afghanistan is getting another, more realistic look. The message I'm getting is that we are going to give it one more college try with realistic objectives and have a short span of time to do it. I don't know if that's because they think it's 'unwinnable' by whatever metrics you can win this war by, or if that's because public opinion is turning in tide against this war and they don't want to repeat Vietnam from 1969-1975. It is nearly impossible to fight a war without public support. However, you can still start one with 60 percent of the public against it. And you know public opinion is slipping for wars when the chickenhawks are squawking about getting out. Those who will rush into war on a 'pack of lies' but never serve themselves. Those who will fight any war anywhere at the drop of a hat so long as their deferments are upheld for polinoidal cysts and 'other priorities.' George Will, neo-con extraordinaire, is now saying we are through in Afghanistan and should have started the withdrawal yesterday. I find it convenient that now, with a Democratic president the conservatives are ready and willing to accept defeat and pin it on the Democratic commander-in-chief. This will keep their supposed 'security' credentials intact with the American public because the withdrawal wasn't done under a Republican just the lying into war and the mismanagement of two campaigns that led to this catch-22 position. Everything that led to this is their fault but will quickly be forgotten by the 24 hour news cycle public.

I think, generally, morale in the military is improving because we don't feel like we have brain-dead yes-men making decisions and it's people taking an honest look with realistic assessments of both Campaigns in the Theater. It's about fucking time. If we're going to sweat, bleed, and lose buddies can't it be for a tangible objective and not some ethereal jingoistic bullshit. Objectives such as 'spread freedom and democracy' vice 'clear, hold and build' X area for example. Which do you think is more realistic and obtainable for an 11B humping 100 pounds through mountains in 120 degree heat?

I know, I know, ours is not to ask why but to do or die.

When you're asked to do or die you should have a reality based and attainable objective for which to die, at the fucking least. Jingoism and propaganda only take you so far up that mountain.

People who bring guns to debates are PUSSIES

Let me start this rant by saying that I am one of the few self -described liberals you'll find that is a member of the NRA and has a CHL in two states.

People who bring guns to meetings bring them for one reason: Passive-aggressive intimidation. They may not even realize why they are doing but that is why. It is their way of intimidating people who are pro-healthcare. The want to make people fearful, and stifle all debate, but because they have nothing to add but "Nuh-uh" they carry weapons.

They are saying, "Look, if you do something or say something that I don't like, I have the power to take your life." But instead of saying it outright like a real revolutionary they parade around in their mopey passive aggressive nature. These people are mental midgets. They have no way of arguing so they let the threat of force and violence argue for them. They have a very authoritarian, fascistic, if you will, mindset.

You don't intimidate me assholes and no one else should be intimidated by these dumbasses either. They are moronic, passive-aggressive, nimwits who should have their CHLs, if they are mentally stable enough to have one, revoked for public endangerment, especially if they are walking around in t public with a round chambered, as I saw on the news, in a semi-automatic rifle.

There's a way to pick the dumbest ones out ... they'll have the most and biggest guns strapped to them in the most prominent manner. A smart gun-owner knows that surprise is the biggest advantage you have and concealing is the best policy for protection; hence my CHLs. Hence the reason I know that they are not carrying them for the purpose of self-protection. The only reason you would display it publicly is for INTIMIDATION!

It is just a matter of common decency that you don't display your weapons in public. And going to a large public area where the President is going to be with a loaded gun is disrespectful to the Law Enforcement Officers that have to protect him, the people in the crowd, and the President himself. I would never go to a large venue like that strapped, open-carry or concealed. Again the only reason to display it is to intimidate people.

The reason this pisses me off more than anything is that I hate this passive-aggresive bullshit. Really, that's what's making me angry.

My Political Party Assessment

Libertarians and Ron-heads

Are selfish and mentally lazy. It’s just easier to say leave each to their own. The work that would go into fixing society’s problems is just easier to ignore and leave to each individual hiding behind the patriotic veil of individual liberty. These problems are a result of living in a modern world of which they are a part. If you don’t like the modern world then please go to the woods and live in your bunker. Please don’t use the clean water that society with its evil taxes and collectivism provides you. But even then you can’t own land because ownership is a function of government bureaucracy and if you fall into using that part of the bureaucracy the next thing you know the President will be knocking on the door to take your guns, euthanize your mother, and give your wife an abortion.

Republicans

Republicans are great obstructionists. I mean great. They are able to obstruct while in the majority and the minority. Anytime there is an attempt to modernize, revolutionize, or fix any societal system they just stand up and say no. However, unlike their libertarian cousins they don’t hide behind a moral philosophy. They hide behind money. Everything is always too expensive, except for when the DOD wants to strap laser beams to sharks, we’ve always got money for that. Or when the Air Force wants to buy billions of dollars in jets and aircraft we don’t need, we always have money for that. Or corporate welfare combined with tax cuts for billionaires and corporations. Or invading and occupying a sovereign nation for years on end with no end in site, we’ve got unlimited money for that apparently. But we don’t have the money to provide US citizens protection from health insurance con-men who have no desire to provide the service people are paying for.

Republicans are saying, yes, we need healthcare reform. They had both houses of the legislature and the Presidency for eight years and did nothing about healthcare. The instant Democrats get a bill going all they can say is no. Where were you the past eight years with your great ideas? They obstruct with money. Wait a second is this the party under which deficit ballooned from a surplus to nearly $4 trillion in debt? Yes, yes it is. Then they obstruct with the libertarian argument of a growing government. Wait a second, is the same party under whose control the government bureaucracy grew exponentially? Yes, yes it is.

And if the government is a failure at everything it does why are they so afraid of it being so successful at providing a HEALTH INSURANCE OPTION and argue that it will be a burden on the corporations? Survival of the fittest, right.

I know, I know, if there was no collusion between the companies, which is ILLEGAL, and we actually enforced Sherman Antitrust laws, then insurance CEOs wouldn’t be able to make $105,000 per hour. Then people might actually be able to use their insurance, and here’s a novel idea, to actually receive health care. And if CEOs aren’t making $105,000 per hour they aren’t going to spend that money, and all the GOLD TOILET SEAT making factories and money-pool making factories will have to close and all of those workers will be laid off.

Republicans are people who like living in the good ol’ days. They reminisce of the days gone by and long for the 1950s and ‘60s. You know the good ol’ days when the US was great when we had Jim Crow Laws, McCartyism, prevalent societal sexism and racism. A great democracy that relegated blacks and women as second class citizens. I don’t know what was so great about that time.

I pick on the republicans because they have a certain level of xenophobia, paranoia, schizophrenia, and anti-social behavior that is usually only found in the mentally insane.

Democrats

My favorite bunch of spineless politicians. Usually, on the side of the majority of the United States but too afraid to voice the facts at the risk of looking partisan. They are so afraid of being called Socialist. My Advice: Democrats rename your party and beat them to the punch we are the Socialist Democratic Party. Go ugly early. You get that out of the way you can stop defending and start going on the offensive. You are on the side of the majority of the people, who cares what you call yourself. Part of the Democratic platform is, by fact, Socialist. Say, so what, and move on. Nearly every modern democracy has a Socialist Democratic party, there is nothing wrong with that. Most countries have communist members of their parliamentary bodies. So what, it adds to the debate.

Don’t get me wrong I am absolutely a Darwinist. If I were a politician my ticket would definitely be pro death. I am PRO death-penalty, pro abortion, pro necessary war, pro guns, and pro euthanasia. If you want to die, that should be your choice. If you want to kill a parasite that is living inside your body that is your choice. I would not like for my significant other to have an abortion but if that is the decision she comes to, which I doubt she would, I have no right to stop her. She is not my property and not a cow for producing young.

Pissed off Gun Owner...That Can't be Good.

My career requires me to live great distances from my family. This career has put in the line of fire from enemy bullets and put me in combat situations where I have had to discharge my weapon. When traveling the supposed 'land of the free' in my vehicle when carrying a firearm is a giant pain in the ass thanks to hypersensitive, ignorant, whining, liberal assholes. That's right I said it, liberal assholes.

It would be great if we lived in a utopia with no crime but we don't. When I'm at home I have multiple firearms to use for defense of my person, family, and property. I am a law abiding citizen with no criminal record or intentions, why do I not have the right in the course of my travels to carry my firearm for protection? I have CHL from 2 states and I am about to get my 3rd from Texas. But even with the combat experience, classes, and training I am still not allowed to carry a weapon for defense in most of the East coast and a few midwestern states.

I am prevented from using my freedoms in defense of potential felon and criminal right to rob or kill me.

Good job Congress! Democrats should keep up the good work in preventing law abiding citizens from Constitutional rights and I will keep giving the money I could give to them to the NRA.

However, the NRA isn't innocent either as they stretch the 2nd Amendment to absurdity for people to carry everything from armor piercing ammo and fully automatic weapons to anything short of a rocket launcher. I just don't see what the logical argument is law abiding citizens from carrying firearms. Are they afraid I'm going to trip, fall, and drop my gun and accidentally kill someone. Their only arguments are absurd and contrary to all evidence.

5 years by the numbers Part I

5 Years in the Army by the Numbers

As of June 2009 I will have been on Active Duty as an officer for 5 years here are a few of the stats.



5 years=60 months

______________

Deployed: 30 months (50%)

School: 11 months (18%)

Field: 7 months (12%) (preparing to deploy)

At home in garrison with unit: 12 months (20%) (preparing to deploy)



My career has been schoolhouse, prepare to deploy, deploy, schoolhouse, prepare to deploy, deploy, schoolhouse (July 2009)...



It's beginning to get monotonous.

I need to go home...

You know what I don't need anymore of:

Shitting in a fucking coffin sized shitter with another guy less than 12 inches away from you.

Pissing in poorly designed Arab pisser that splashes the piss all over you.

Handsoap that smells no better than the latrine I just shit in.

Seeing contractor's making 2-3 times more money for doing less than I do and putting up with 1/3rd of the bullshit.

Rubbery chicken breast served everynight lukewarm for 455 days.

The TCNs with the shit-eating grins that don't understand when I say I don't want any fucking rotten ass tomatoes. I don't want any fucking rotten ass tomatoes.

Rotten fucking lettuce.

The same fucking food served every day like fucking clockwork, piss warm, with no flavor, and covered with an extra side misery as you think about the meals you could be having at home.

Desert. Sand. Sun. Heat. I don't want it anymore.

Spending 12 or more hours a day stuck in a cubicle, crammed in a fucking dusty, noisy, hot-ass tent staring at a computer screen not doing shit. Not accomplishing anything but making my bosses feel like they are actually important and have a critical mission, when they don't.

Taking on every stupid daunting task, that everyone has passed up by everyone before us, in an attempt by my bosses to get another bullet comment for their fucking evaluations.

Pretending like we are actually important, like we matter, because we don't.

The mental diarrhea that gives birth to the abortions of ideas and thought, and the lack of thinking that goes into all of them.

The hopeless feeling of marking another fucking day off the calendar to realize that the next day will be just as meaningless and empty as the one just finished.

To realize all of those black dashes across that calendar are days that I will never get back. Days, that have to turned to weeks, and months and now over a year that I have LOST and have disappeared, to me, my son, my wife, and my family. For What?!

And I've done it twice.

What the Fuck is there to Investigate?

HEADLINE: Army says suicides likely jumped last month
The number could surpass January combat deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan

That's the headline from MSNBC. Really? We're going to investigate why people are committing suicide in record numbers? Do we need an investigation? The investigation sounds like a bunch of CYOA beauracratic bullshit to me. Do the senior leaders care? I'm sure they do, I mean afterall they are human.

Let me save you the time and money: We're spending 3/4 of our lives in COMBAT ZONES conducting dangerous operations. Even if you're not directly in the combat zone and you get deployed there is still separation hardships, troubles and problems back home, etc.

Why are suicides spiking now? Because the largest group of people are beginning to come back from their 2nd 15 month deployments, including me. I'm still in the shit for a few more months but my wife and I have both spent 30 of the last 42 months deployed.

The unfortunate thing is that the damage is already done and there is no problem to be solved. These things can't be fixed. The officer divorce rate is around 60 percent. Spousal abuse is at an all time high. More and more soldiers are having to enroll in substance abuse programs. This is your Army of empire people. Those that aren't doing illicit substances or abusing the legal ones are getting prescriptions for mood altering medications to combat depression and PTSD. Welcome to the Army. Is it all of us? No. But it's enough to have us wondering what the hell is going to happen to the Army in the next 3-5 years.

There is nothing you can do to get that soldier's wife to come back because their relationship fell apart while he spent 3/4 of the last 5 years in the combat zone. What are you going to do? You can't give them that time back. You can't give soldiers back the 3 or more years they've missed of their children(s') lives. That time is gone. They are already guilt-stricken for missing that. And what did they miss it for. To go liberate a country that didn't want to be liberated. To free a bunch of people that just want to kill us. To go watch their fellow Soldiers get blown out of their fucking trucks and then burn to death.

Fuck you and your beauracratic CYOA bullshit. There's nothing you can do. The damage is done and as more of us return from our second EXTENDED deployment therewill be more suicides, divorces, spoual abuse, spousal homicide. We don't know how to live in that world anymore. Home is here in theater where we spend 3/4 of our time. Home station is just a place where we go to fucking train for the next deployment. Some of us have a hard time adjusting to that life. We can't be in crowded rooms, noisy places, or around loud bangs because our reaction to those things back there is not normal. When I hit the ground here that's the norm that's what you are supposed to do. My behavior has been modified for the combat zone, and just as I start to adjust, guess what, I'm back on a plane bound for this shithole again.

We now have to deal with the conflict of not wanting to stay here but not wanting to be home. Sounds a bit crazy doesn't it. That's because it is. It's crazy to spend 3/4 of your life over the course of 4years in a combat zone.

My son is nearly 4 years old and my wife and I have spent 18 months of his life with him. How do you solve that problem? How do you give me that time back? Bottom line is, you can't.