Pelosi Credits Iran’s “Goodwill” for Surge Success

This woman's complete disregard for our own troops and the Iraqi gov't is appalling. SHe actually credits IRAN's goodwill for ending the violence in Basra....yeah, try not to go postal at this.




H/T: Drillanwr at Pat Dollard



In an 80 minute interview by the SF Chronicle, Nancy Pelosi really shone.

I listened to about a half hour of it before I got disgusted and turned it off.



In her own words:



Well, the purpose of the surge was to provide a secure space, a time for the political change to occur to accomplish the reconciliation. That didn’t happen. Whatever the military success, and progress that may have been made, the surge didn’t accomplish its goal. And some of the success of the surge is that the goodwill of the Iranians-they decided in Basra when the fighting would end, they negotiated that cessation of hostilities-the Iranians.



WTF over?!



Commentary by Abe Greenwald here: Commentary Magazine



She goes on for quite a while later in the interview and repeatedly bashes the CinC. Talks about her socialist agendas and whatnot... God I hate this piece of filth. She loves socialism so much she can go to Venezuela and knock boots with Chavez.







Or she could just go and be one of Bashir Asad's wives...since she is so keen to hang with terrorist state dictators...

"We were soldiers once..."

H/T: Pat Dollard






Diggers 'ashamed' to wear Aussie uniform



May 27, 2008 06:51am


THE exclusion of Australian troops from frontline conflicts, including in Iraq, has left many feeling ashamed to wearing their uniform, an army major says.

Major Jim Hammett, who has served in East Timor, Iraq, Somalia and Tonga, also said the policy had exposed Australian infantry troops to "near contempt'' from other foreign soldiers now serving in Iraq, Fairfax has reported.

"In the opinion of many infantrymen, the lauding of their contributions to recent operations does not ring true,'' Major Hammett writes in the Australian Army Journal.

"Many within its ranks suspect that the role of the infantry has already been consigned to history ... the ongoing inaction (in Iraq) ... has resulted in collective disdain and at times near contempt by personnel from other contributing nations for the publicity-shrouded yet force protected Australian troops.''

Major Hammett said the infantry, which makes up about a third of the army's combat forces, had not been assigned offensive actions since the Vietnam War despite steady overseas deployments since 2001.



It was only Australia's special forces, including the SAS, that were sent on offensive operations, he said.

"The restrictions placed on deployed elements as a result of force protection and national policies have, at times, made infantrymen ashamed of wearing their Australian uniform and regimental badge,'' Major Hammett wrote.

''(They) have resulted in the widespread perception that our army is plagued by institutional cowardice.''

In a separate article cited by Fairfax, Captain Greg Colton, second in command of the Sydney-based 3rd Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment, said infantry morale had deteriorated in the past 10 years as regular infantry units were given only "second-rate operational tasks''.


"There is a growing sense of frustration,'' Captain Colton wrote.

"The government and army hierarchy seem to favour special forces for deliberate offensive operations and tasks ... at a lower level the diggers, NCOs and junior officers are starting to question the infantry's role and their part in it, which is having a tangible effect on morale.''

Freedom Never Cries...

What kind of world do you want.com...



I know it's become cliche' to say this, but it is the truth:

Freedom isn't free...

Honoring the Fallen

Well, Memorial Day has come and gone....

I had planned on doing a nice memorial post to honor the fallen, but quite frankly, I just didn't have it in me to even go online all weekend. Most people nowadays seem to forget what Memorial Day is supposed to represent, I've been guilty of it too. When people wish you a "Happy Memorial Day" obviously, they don't get it.

Memorial Day is a day of remembrance, a day to honor the fallen. Remember them and the sacrifices they've made. Remember what it is they died for. Too many Americans have forgotten...

It seems the older I get the more the heavy a weight it is on my soul.

So since this is a couple days late and a couple of dollars short, I'll refer you to an excellent memorial day post over at Gazing at the Flag.

Just to educate those that don't know:

A Brief History of Memorial Day

Originally called Decoration Day, Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for those who have died in service to our country. It was first widely observed on May 30, 1868, to commemorate the sacrifices of Civil War soldiers, by proclamation of General John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of former sailors and soldiers.
During the first national celebration, General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, after which 5,000 participants helped to decorate the graves of the more than 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers who were buried there. This event was inspired by local observances of the day that had taken place in several towns throughout America in the three years since the Civil War. By the late 1800s, many more cities and communities had begun to observe Memorial Day, and after World War I, it became a occasion for honoring those who had died in all America's wars.
Memorial Day is celebrated at Arlington National Cemetery each year with a ceremony in which a small American flag is placed on each grave. Traditionally, the President or Vice President lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. About 5,000 people attend the ceremony annually.
In 1971, Congress declared Memorial Day a national holiday to be celebrated on the last Monday of May. Several southern states, however, have an additional, separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead: January 19 in Texas; April 26 in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi; May 10 in South Carolina; and June 3 in Louisiana and Tennessee.

The Place to Discuss Our Fundamental Principles

H/T Ragnar at the Jawa Report





Fred is back on the scene and writing over at townhall.com

Welcome back Fred....we miss you old coot.

.....

Uncle Ted Rocks

I swiped this from an email I got from Glenn Beck. Sorry Glenn, but I just had to share.

H/T: Glenn Beck

Special Report: I am the NRA
I am the NRA

By Ted Nugent

I like guns. I cherish freedom. That is why I am a proud life member and on the Board of Directors of the National Rifle Association (NRA).
This coming weekend tens of thousands of like-minded Americans will come to Louisville to celebrate the 2nd Amendment guarantee to our right to self defense and all the various freedoms we as Americans uniquely enjoy.
The NRA stands with all freedom-loving Americans. Indeed, our focus is on the 2nd Amendment, but the NRA members realize that the other freedoms contained in our sacred US Constitution and Bill of Rights are also worthy of our watchful eye and protection. Just like the NRA will not support gun-control, we also won't support freedom-control.
The NRA understands the toll of freedom is responsibility, which is why we adamantly support mandatory sentences for those individuals who violate the freedoms of others with a gun. The NRA has always advocated tougher sentences for criminals. Interestingly, our most vehement adversaries are typically those individuals and organizations who advocate lighter sentences for criminals and other policies that weaken the fabric of our criminal justice system, thereby putting you and me at risk.
Not only does the NRA believe you have a Constitutional right to own and posses a gun, but we also believe you have God-given right and duty to defend yourselves and your loved ones. A cursory review of the statements of our founding fathers regarding why the 2nd Amendment was included in the Bill of Rights will indicate that they believed this too. The 2nd Amendment has nothing to do with duck hunting.
Let me be very clear: the NRA believes, supports and fights for the rights of Americans to carry a concealed weapon. Various misinformed or anti-gun media ideologues will attempt to convince you that concealed carry will lead to carnage in your streets. But that hasn't happened with the hundreds of thousands of Americans that legally carry a concealed weapon. In fact, just the opposite is true, but the facts, however interesting, are routinely ignored by media. How convenient.
Law-abiding citizens with guns thwart criminals well over a million times a year. While our brave men and women of law enforcement do their best, they can't be everywhere to protect you and me. The protection of our loved ones is ultimately our individual responsibility. Without a gun, those Americans who otherwise thwart crime with a gun each year almost certainly would have been a victim of a crime. Instead, they prevented crime. More than likely you didn't know that because our media hasn't been honest with us. The number of anti-gun news stories dwarfs the amount of pro-gun stories covered by American media.
Having conducted thousands of pro-gun radio, print and television interviews, I am continually appalled at the attempts by anti-gun adherents to spin, slant and overtly lie about guns, law abiding gun owners, crime and the NRA. There are misinformed people who actually believe the NRA is responsible for crime instead of working hard to prevent it. Once exposed, they are typically the same people who believe you and me aren't taxed enough.
At over four million members, the NRA's ranks are composed of teachers, cops, farmers, lawyers, welders, hero military veterans and at least one gonzo guitar player who is not afraid to speak his mind and stand up for what he believes in. NRA members believe it is our responsibility as Americans to participate in this experiment in self-government.
I personally invite you to come to the Kentucky Expo Center this weekend to celebrate freedom with tens of thousands of other like-minded Americans. You will encounter courteous, polite and gregarious Americans who believe freedom is worth fighting for. We are the NRA.

Ted Nugent has consistently received more votes to the NRA Board than any other nominee, with the exception of the late, great Charlton Heston. Nugent continues to set attendance records at every NRA seminar and book signing event he hosts. For more information on all things Nugent, please visit www.tednugent.com.

You are not forgotten

She died on 16 March after her father discovered she had been seen in public talking to Paul, considered to be the enemy, the invader and a Christian. Though her horrified mother, Leila Hussein, called Rand’s two brothers, Hassan, 23, and Haydar, 21, to restrain Abdel-Qader as he choked her with his foot on her throat, they joined in. Her shrouded corpse was then tossed into a makeshift grave without ceremony as her uncles spat on it in disgust.

In the words of an unrepentant Father:

Death was the least she deserved,’ said Abdel-Qader. ‘I don’t regret it. I had the support of all my friends who are fathers, like me, and know what she did was unacceptable to any Muslim that honours his religion,’ he said.
Sitting on a chair by his front door and surrounded by the gerberas and white daisies he had planted in the family garden, Abel-Qader attempted to justify his actions.
‘I don’t have a daughter now, and I prefer to say that I never had one. That girl humiliated me in front of my family and friends. Speaking with a foreign solider, she lost what is the most precious thing for any woman. ‘People from western countries might be shocked, but our girls are not like their daughters that can sleep with any man they want and sometimes even get pregnant without marrying. Our girls should respect their religion, their family and their bodies.
‘I have only two boys from now on. That girl was a mistake in my life. I know God is blessing me for what I did,’ he said, his voice swelling with pride. ‘My sons are by my side, and they were men enough to help me finish the life of someone who just brought shame to ours.’

The entire article can be found here at the Observer

Honor Killing.

What is so honorable about this?

Rand, you will not be forgotten. Your story has touched thousands and we will not forget you.

This despicable behavior happens all over. it happens here too. I'm sure you all remember Amina And Sarah Said. Our American Daughters slain by their father.

This is not just an Arab cultural issue. This is an Islamic issue. Their concept of honor is repugnant. I trust these maggots that commit these crimes will rot in hell for their actions.

.....

Damn... Glad I don't own one of these...

Trucks and Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) are prime targets for thieves looking to steal catalytic converters. The catalytic converter is part of the exhaust system located underneath the vehicle and is designed to reduce the toxicity of emissions from an internal combustion engine. Thieves steal the catalytic converters because they contain small amounts of precious metals including platinum $1,290 an ounce; palladium $370 an ounce; rhodium - can trade for up to $6,000 an ounce.

.....

Losing Our Spines to Save our Necks

Sam Harris has written a great Op-ed piece that surprisingly enough was published in the Huffington Post. He addresses the danger of capitulation to Islamists and pulls no punches. A great piece...

"A point of comparison: The controversy of over Fitna was immediately followed by ubiquitous media coverage of a scandal involving the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS). In Texas, police raided an FLDS compound and took hundreds of women and underage girls into custody to spare them the continued, sacramental predations of their menfolk. While mainstream Mormonism is now granted the deference accorded to all major religions in the United States, its fundamentalist branch, with its commitment to polygamy, spousal abuse, forced marriage, child brides (and, therefore, child rape) is often portrayed in the press as a depraved cult. But one could easily argue that Islam, considered both in the aggregate and in terms of its most negative instances, is far more despicable than fundamentalist Mormonism. The Muslim world can match the FLDS sin for sin--Muslims commonly practice polygamy, forced-marriage (often between underage girls and older men), and wife-beating--but add to these indiscretions the surpassing evils of honor killing, female "circumcision," widespread support for terrorism, a pornographic fascination with videos showing the butchery of infidels and apostates, a vibrant form of anti-semitism that is explicitly genocidal in its aspirations, and an aptitude for producing children's books and television programs which exalt suicide-bombing and depict Jews as "apes and pigs."

Check out the rest of the piece here: Losing Our Spines to Save Our Necks

Take heed patriots.....

Die with your boots on....

....

Arbor Day Revisited

Well, I planted a tree on Arbor Day.

I planted a Japanese Maple.

I've always wanted one and now I have one.

The trick is, can I keep it alive?

It seems to be doing rather well so far, but it has only been a little over a week since I planted it.

I have it in a pretty good spot with mostly morning sun and mostly afternoon shade. At least for the time being. I have almost no trees on my 4 acres here in the desert. I've planted several trees this spring so far, the Japanese Maple being the latest edition to my new "forest".

My first tree I planted was last summer and since I was new to the horticulture of Southern AZ, I made the mistake of planting a Cottonwood. Now don't get me wrong, it is doing beautifully and all, but it requires ALOT of water. So I rectified that and planted several non-fruit-bearing Mulberries. They are drought resistant and use little wate. On top of that they grow fast and make good shade trees. So I'm guessing in about 5 years or so I should have some nice shady areas on the property. I still plan on planting more trees. I am unfortuantely going to have to stick with the low water variety because of the whole "desert" thing I have going on down here...hahaha.

I will take some photos when I get the time to download them to my computer, until then, here's a picture of a Japanese Maple:

Enjoy!

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Good Quote

H/T: Johnny Law

"We must reject the idea that every time a law's broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions."

- Ronald Reagan

Got MILF?

H/T: Pam at Atlas Shrugs

Muslim rebels drove off more than 1,000 Christians from a southern Philippine farming village and took over their land, the guerillas and a mayor said Friday.

Armed members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) entered the coastal village of Sangay in the town of Kalamansig on the troubled island of Mindanao Wednesday to demand food and rice recently harvested by the farmers, Kalamansig Mayor Rolando Garcia said, according to The Associated Press.

In the past, the armed rebels have demanded food and stayed only briefly in the village, but this time they told villagers to leave and occupied the land. Faced with about 300 armed MILF guerillas, the scared residents fled to Kalamansig town about three hours away by boat while the rebels remained in the village.

"I sent a peacekeeping force there to settle the problem amicably but they were forced to withdraw to avoid bloodshed," Garcia said of the 14-man police team sent to the area, according to AP.

The rest of the story here.

Armed Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) fighters arrive at their camp at Indanan, in southern Jolo, Philippines for a meeting with the high level mission from the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC). (Photo: Therence Koh / AFP-Getty Images)

More on the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)
Young Muslims Face an Uncertain Future

Religion of Peace my ass....

Die with your boots on....

...

The "Gunny" Salute

February 14, 2008..ONE FINGER SALUTE

Leading the fight is Gunnery Sgt Michael Burghardt, known as 'Iron Mike' or just 'Gunny'. He is on his third tour in Iraq. He had become a legend in the bomb disposal world after winning the Bronze Star for disabling 64 IEDs and destroying 1,548 pieces of ordnance during his second tour.

Then, on September 19, he got blown up. He had arrived at a chaotic scene after a bomb had killed four US soldiers. He chose not to wear the bulky bomb protection suit. 'You can't react to any sniper fire and you get tunnel-vision,' he explains. So, protected by just a helmet and standard-issue flak jacket, he began what bomb disposal officers term 'the longest walk', stepping gingerly into a 5 foot deep and 8 foot wide crater.

The earth shifted slightly and he saw a Senao base station with a wire leading from it. He cut the wire and used his 7 inch knife to probe the ground. 'I found a piece of red detonating cord between my legs,' he says. 'That's when I knew I was screwed.'

Realizing he had been sucked into a trap, Sgt Burghardt, 35, yelled at everyone to stay back. At that moment, an insurgent, probably watching through binoculars, pressed a button on his mobile phone to detonate the secondary device below the sergeant's feet. 'A chill went up the back of my neck and then the bomb exploded,' he recalls. 'As I was in the air I remember thinking, 'I don't believe they got me.' I was just ticked off they were able to do it. Then I was lying on the road, not able to feel anything from the waist down.'

His colleagues cut off his trousers to see how badly he was hurt. None could believe his legs were still there. 'My dad's a Vietnam vet who's paralyzed from the waist down,' says Sgt Burghardt. 'I was lying there thinking I didn't want to be in a wheelchair next to my dad and for him to see me like that. They started to cut away my pants and I felt a real sharp pain and blood trickling down. Then I wiggled my toes and I thought, 'Good, I'm in business.' 'As a stretcher was brought over, adrenaline and anger kicked in. 'I decided to walk to the helicopter. I wasn't going to let my team-mates see me being carried away on a stretcher.' He stood and gave the insurgents who had blown him up a one-fingered salute. 'I flipped them one. It was like, 'OK, I lost that round but I'll be back next week'.'

Copies of a photograph depicting his defiance, taken by Jeff Bundy for the Omaha World-Herald, adorn the walls of homes across America and that of Col John Gronski, the brigade commander in Ramadi, who has hailed the image as an exemplar of the warrior spirit.

Sgt Burghardt's injuries - burns and wounds to his legs and buttocks - kept him off duty for nearly a month and could have earned him a ticket home. But, like his father - who was awarded a Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts for being wounded in action in Vietnam - he stayed in Ramadi to engage in the battle against insurgents who are forever coming up with more ingenious ways of killing Americans.

SEMPER FI GUNNY!!!!!



Die with your boots on.....


...

The Dreams of Future Past

The What Ifs….

I have had a few dreams since I got divorced about being in the military again.
I know it's not so strange to have weird dreams that recall the past, but these are more like dreams of a possible future.

I know I've had several but I only really recall with any amount of clarity a couple of them. Last night I had one that was a bad one and although I can only really recall partial glimpses of it, it was still one that has affected me.

The first one that I can recall was a really good one and oddly enough it made me feel good and also a bit sorrowful at the same time.

I had rejoined the military and was again a scout although since it had been a while since I had performed my duties a s a scout, I was forced to take scout training over again. It was naturally not at all how I remembered Ft. Knox, but it was a rewarding dream. I had graduated again and was able to retain my rank of Sergeant and some of my former buddies were in it. It was definitely a really "feel-good" type of dream. Perhaps an echo of the sense of loss I have felt ever since I re-classed as a Satellite systems operator. I never really felt the esprit-de-corps or the sense of brotherhood in the signal corps that I experienced in the cavalry. I have missed it ever since.
I have, admittedly, considered reenlisting many times since I ETS'd back in 2003. Especially in light of the fact I felt cheated in a way of not being able to participate in the Iraq Invasion as a scout and was stuck sitting on the border providing an internet link to the rear echelon command at Camp Virginia in Kuwait. I longed to be out there with my brothers and was constantly wondering how they were all doing. I know that at least a few of the guys I served with in the Cav were in the initial invasion. I thought about them an awful lot and wished I could be there to watch their back...or having them watch my back, such as the case might have been. To say that sitting on the border watching little blinking green lights for months was frustrating is an understatement. Getting a phone call from the general's TOC to drop everything and run for our non-existent bunker was irritating as well. It seems that despite having an "early warning" system to let us know of an incoming SCUD attack, the General's TOC always knew several minutes ahead of "the Voice" as it was dubbed ever sounded off, so all of us in the compound would get a phone call telling us to find cover. Our little section of satellite operators consisted initially of myself and my section Sergeant. We were kind of an afterthought and noone really knew what we did. We actually were collocated with our equipment and lived and worked in the same little tent for most of the time we were there. And we didn't ever get the time to go steal sandbags to build ourselves a bunker with. Our entire stock of sandbags was used to keep our tent from completely blowing away. So we were forced to duck in between shipping containers for cover…yeah not much cover really, especially with full battle rattle on. There was a sense powerlessness that came with each successive SCUD alert. At least as a combat arms soldier you had a small sense of some amount of control over your fate. Mostly you engaged the enemy with small arms or machinegun fire. So if you could keep your head down and shoot straight, there was some sense of control, however false it may be.
To get back to topic, the whole experience of OIF 1 was somewhat of a letdown. Couple that with the fact that I was to come home and realize I was a victim of Jody did nothing to raise my spirits. Not to mention the fiasco around my getting pinned for E-5. That is a story for another day.
So I suspect that first dream was a reflection of my longing for a happier time in my life, one that was rewarding and gave me a real sense of brotherhood.
Last night was a dream of a different color.
From what little I can remember, mostly images and partial conversations and emotions, I was again back in the CAV and was being put in a signal unit upon return from a deployment. Most of my gear was missing and I didn't even have a full set of PT's to wear. My Supply Sergeant was kind of like a Training NCO or something and I was arguing with him about being in signal unit. I can remember saying, "What part of 19D do you not understand?!" In retrospect that was a bit humorous, but in the dream I was incredibly angry, and frustrated. I also remember cussing about my (now ex-wife) cheating on me and demanding to be put back in a CAV unit. It was not a good dream, on the whole and it stirred up a lot of bitter emotions at a lot of things in my life that are probably best left washed away under the bridge. It's been a couple of years since I got divorced and even longer since I separated from the Army. Some things just stay embedded in our subconscious I guess. I still harbor a lot of resentment for the signal corps. My time there was one big nightmare. I think what really upset me was that from the time I signed the reenlistment contract to change MOS, things changed for me. My commander (who was a jackass anyway) black listed me and kept me form getting my spurs, despite having been in the unit for almost 3 years and shooting TopGun in the last gunnery. I was, and still am proud of my time as a Scout. To be honest, I still consider myself one. I have reflected on this before, but like "once a Marine, always a Marine", I feel that way about the cavalry. I will always be a scout. Those guys I served with will always be my brothers, even the ones that pissed me off…hehe. I have since broadened my scope a bit and I consider all service members my brothers and sisters.
As far as the true origins of my anger at the signal corps a little anecdote; As most soldiers know unit affiliation is voluntary and you can get affiliated with any unit you've served with. Well, my first unit was the 17th cavalry. We were E-troop, 3rd Squadron, 17th cavalry regiment (separate). And I wanted to be affiliated with them, so I put in a 4187 for my unit affiliation which took so long to process, that I forgot about it and ended up being involuntarily affiliated with the Army Signal regiment upon graduation from SATCOM school in Ft. Gordon. It was bad enough I had to trade in my sabers for semaphore flags, but they took away my right to unit affiliation…I was more than pissed off at this. That was what really planted the seed of enmity I think.

I guess there's a reason we call it "the good old days".

Scout's Out!

Today is Arbor Day

So go plant a tree!

I am going to get a tree and plant it after work today. I have already planted half a dozen trees this spring already, but since it's Arbor day...well one more won't hurt .

I want to say a special Thank You! to Findalis' for reminding me of arbor day, since the few liberal treehuggers I do know were far more concerned with Earth day and none of them seemed to know that today is Arbor Day. Go figure.

Findalis' has a great Arbor Day post with a cute poem. Go check it out.

.....

Contempt, Ignorance, Hypocrisy and Disrespect

KUDOS to Cassandra at Villainous Company

I can't really do justice to Cassandra's post. It is a very touching and poignant piece. And it really does hit home. I will excerpt some and link you to the rest.

And make sure you read the comments section. Just ignore Rick Schwag...he's just a lowlife troll.

Thank you cassandra for your sacrifices and for the service of your family. We all owe you a debt of gratitude...and more.

A Suspension of Contempt

"Duty is the sublimest word in our language. Do your duty in all things. You cannot do more;

you should never wish to do less."

-Robert E. Lee

I woke this morning knowing I could no longer put this off. For well over a year a feeling has been building inside of me, but until now I could see no useful purpose in naming the thing I see everywhere I look these days.

There is an ancient superstition which whispers that to name a thing gives it power. I think part of the rationalization for this idea lies in the notion that so long as certain things remain partially hidden, never quite seen in their entirety, decent people are still ashamed to acknowledge them in the harsh light of day.

My father was a Navy man. So, too, was my father in law. Both served full careers and retired as Captains. Destroyer men, they were. Both served in Vietnam. My Uncle Mel was a Marine in WWII, my Grandfather served in the Army. I have ancestors who served all the way back to the Civil (both sides) and Revolutionary wars. So although marrying a military man formed no part of my plans as a young girl, when my husband informed me he had signed up for Marine Officer ROTC, what could I do? I had already said, "I do". I loved my husband, and I love my country. Both deserve my support, and not just when that support is easy and convenient.
A promise is a promise. I was in for the duration, either way.

The ironic thing was that during my formative years I'd watched my mother (with much love and admiration) struggle with yearly moves, sea duty, and the loneliness and worry that come with being a Navy wife. Consequently, I swore I would never marry a Navy man. No worries. It seemed Fate had a far crueler destiny in mind for me. I would go through life handcuffed to a

chicken on a beach ball.

My mind drifts back to this often now when I read the media's heart rending accounts of young Army officers "forced" to leave the service so their brides can attend college [sniff!]. This is -alas! - the only way they and their families can have a "normal" life. I wonder, as I read, what is normal like? Was my life ever normal? Would I trade one precious second of the profoundly un-normal last three decades for that more tranquil existence, for more money, for the dreamy McMansions we keep looking at, the ones with brick all the way around the house instead of just on the front facade? The ones with all the trimmings I can think up - and I can think up a lot, trust me on that one.

I can imagine a lot of tranquility, too. But are these things: college, jobs, material possessions, what make up the good life? Or

is it the friends - the connections - we gather along the way that truly matter, even if they tend to make our lives a bit hectic and messy?

Read the rest here.

Semper Fidelis Ma'am. And since I am an old cav guy...I'll treat you to a more than honorable "Scout's Out!"

Die with your boots on....

Brave Rifles...Scout's Out!

H/T: Lftbhndagn at Pat Dollard

Another Cav Scout talks about the war and how it's affected him and his family.
Great video.




Scout's Out!

Kaboom...Scout's Out!

Although I stumbled across this blog a while back, I somehow never got around to adding it to my blogroll.

As a proud member of the cavalry myself, I really love reading about what my brothers are doing over in the sandbox. LT G is a very good writer. And he doesn't pull any punches.

I realize He may never visit my site, but I am proud to put him on my blogroll. I Hope you all take the time to read about him and his soldier's experiences in Iraq. So many times you see, hear and read about what's going on there, what the soldiers think or what the Iraqis think. Where is the truth?

It usually lies somewhere in the middle.

There are so many Americans against this war. What I think those people need to understand is that We are at war. The decision was made and we have to face the consequences. It doesn't matter anymore who was right or wrong. To make a bad situation better is all we can hope for.

Soldiers on the line want to do their job and come home. But they do not want to come home without completing their mission. No matter how bad it get's or how much it sucks, tey still want to get it done.

LTG says, "embrace the suck" That's pretty much what being a line soldier is all about. And don't belittle or patronize them, they are a proud caste of warriors that deserve our respect. And our support. Lest we forget, the soldiers are citizens who have volunteered, for whatever reason, some out of patriotism, some because it is a family tradition and some for the benefits. But essentially they represent a cross section of our nation, every race creed and color in the US is represented in our military. They are not a bunch of robots, they're real people with hopes and dreams, families and friends. What sets them apart is they did what their country asked them to do. The least we can do is do the only thing they ask of us. Let them finish what we've started.

I'm going to leave you all with a little piece of Cavalry tradition that I dedicate to LTG and his Gravediggers and all the rest of our Cavalry bretheren:

FIDDLER'S GREEN

Halfway down the trail to hell in a shady meadow green

Are the souls of all dead troopers camp'd near a good ol' time canteen

And this eternal resting place is known as Fiddler's Green

Marching past straight through to hell

The Infantry are seen

Accomp'nied by the Engineer, Artillery and Marine

For none but the shades of Cavalrymen dismount at Fiddler's Green

Though some go curving down the trail to seek a warmer scene,

No Cavalryman ever gets to hell e're he's emptied his canteen

And so rides back to drink again with friends at Fiddler's Green

And so when man and horse go down beneath a sabre keen

Or in a roaring charge of fierce melee you stop a bullet clean

And the hostiles come to get your scalp

Just empty your canteen

And put your pistol to your head and go to Fiddler's Green

So to LTG, if you ever read this...

SCOUT"S OUT!

Die with your boots on.....

The Civil War in Darfur

From the Jerusalem Post.

In case you haven't been following this conflict...I really haven't myself.

The conflict began in early 2003 when ethnic African rebels took up arms against Sudan's Arab-dominated central government, accusing it of discrimination. Many of the worst atrocities in the war have been blamed on the janjaweed militia of Arab nomads allied with the government.

Has anyone noticed that the natives are rising up against their Arabic (Muslim) oppressors?

Is it just me, or is this a far worse crisis than Iraq? I mean c'mon people. Our bleeding hearts in the US are so concerned about human life right? So in a war that's been going on about as long as ours in Iraq, we see a death toll of somewhere between 200,000 - 400,000 people. Their own gov't is saying only 10,000 people have died due to the fighting...so even if only 10,000 soldiers have been killed, that's a far cry from just over 4,000 is this heinous Iraqi debacle that the Bush administration has prosecuted in such a criminal manner (dripping sarcasm).

Why don't we see more about Darfur? Because our anti-war folks are not really concerned about war. They are concerned about Our war, they are concerned about undermining our government and projecting their freaking idiotic idea of a utopia via our old friend Marx.

Darfur should be all over the news, it should be the number one news coverage in the world since it is the most violent and bloody war in this decade, but who will go cover it? Certainly it isn't safe for journalists on the ground there so you won't see any eyewitness reporting. In a nutshell, noone cares.

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Germany Stages Ant-Terrorist raids

H/T: Holger Awakens

From the JP article: Germany stages raids in probe of suspected Islamic radicals

German police staged a series of raids Wednesday in an investigation of nine German citizens suspected of trying to win over converts to their radical version of Islam, prosecutors said.
Munich prosecutors said that 16 properties in various parts of the country were searched as they sought incriminating publications and other evidence. They included the apartments of the suspects.
They said the group originated in the southern town of Neu-Ulm, at the Multi-Kultur-Haus - an Islamic center that Bavarian authorities shut in December 2005, charging that it threatened the coexistence of Germans and foreigners as well as security in the country.
A statement from prosecutors said the suspects' aim was "to Islamicize and radicalize Muslims and non-Muslims - particularly Germans who have converted to Islam." It added that they were suspected of trying to encourage those people's "readiness for Jihadist activities at home and abroad. The suspects were accused of using radical literature, audio and video material, Islam seminars and Internet discussion forums.

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