For those that are not familiar, challenge coins are coins that are handed out by commanders, sergeants-majors, units, and others as 'mementos'.  But that was not their original usage- while many units have varied histories around challenge coins, most will agree that it originates from WWI when a downed pilot used it to verify his background.  From that point forward, the unit had everyone carrying a coin in a pouch around their neck.

Coins really took off in the Vietnam era, and many from that conflict are quite valuable- ones from MACV-SOG or other specialized unit are especially coveted.  During my trips over there, I was not able to secure a 'real' coin but fakes are readily available.

Coin usage nowadays is not for combat; its for camaraderie.  Any place, ANY time, a person holding a coin can issue a challenge; showers too!  Those not able to reach their coin buys the round; those holding the HIGHEST RANK of coin gets rounds purchased by the others.  IF, in a challenge, everyone comes up with their coin, one of two things can happen- either the LAST person producing the coin buys, or the challenger buys, depending on local/unit tradition.  Personally, I'm never without a 4-star coin, ever.  My most 'valuable' one is a Rumsfeld.  He's known for having been especially strict on giving them out.  Never, EVER challenge Blackfive.  He's known to carry a Presidential one.  Can't.be.trumped.

How do you acquire one?  They are given as a 'reward' in many cases, similar to an award, but much less formality involved.  Presenter places one in their palm, shakes hand of the recipient, and transfers the coin.  This is the only TRUE method.  You can, indeed, buy most if not all coins (even a Rumsfeld, but they are expensive, and fakes are numerous) but only those given and received in this traditional manner are really worth anything.  My favorite coin was given to me by an Admiral in Iraq- his first coin, and his first coining, in theater.

One of my favorite challenge stories was in the summer of '86 in Camp Grayling, MI.  The 101st Airborne provided some companies to act as OPFOR in the training areas, and when we came out of the field phase the usual nuttiness followed at the O' and NCO' clubs on post.  One night, a particularly attractive lieutenant (from my guard HQ) appeared in the O' club on Grayling.  For those who've never been there, to me, this is THE BEST officers club on any facility.  She walked to the bar in the back of the club, slammed down the 101st Commanders Coin, and hilarity ensued when the guys from the 101st, who were mostly in the back of the room, bulldozed their way to the bar to slam their coins down.  Over tables, over people, over everything to get to the bar in time.  The place was PACKED, and damn, no one wanted to be last or without.  No one was expecting HER to coin the 101st.  I don't think the place settled down for the rest of the summer after that little stunt.

You got a good challenge coin story?  Share it in the comments.  I've got dozens of stories of coining in Iraq.  Joint Chiefs chairman GEN Myers dumped an entire SLEEVE of his coins into the cargo pocket of a unit Sergeant Major to give out to troops on his behalf.  I don't know what made that SGM more nervous- watching the Chairman do that to him, or the fact he was carrying 5 pounds of coinage in his pocket.

Drop a story or two into the comments..

Wolf

More signs that the "strategery" going on around the Afghan war is a soup sandwich being eaten in a chicken wire canoe while it is paddled up Shit Creek by a guy swinging a football bat wearing bowling cleats. Yeah I'm done tap dancing around this. Today's clusterf**k.

No one was happy to read in The Washington Post that Eikenberry, who commanded the war himself from 2005 to 2007, thinks that the Karzai government needs to demonstrate its commitment to anti-corruption measures before the administration can responsibly authorize another troop increase. The prevailing theory is that “he leaked his own cables” because “he has a beef with McChrystal,” the staffer said. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, Eikenberry’s successor as NATO commander in Afghanistan, has requested an increase in troops to support a counterinsurgency strategy with a substantial counterterrorism component.

But Eikenberry — who also briefed the White House by teleconference yesterday — reiterated his concerns. The ambassador told the NSC not to send additional troops to Afghanistan “without an exit strategy” and urged that the president to adopt a “purely civilian approach” with the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development in the lead, not the military. According to the NSC staffer, Eikenberry “wants a realignment” of USAID, the Afghanistan inspector general’s office and the State Department’s stabilization and reconstruction office. Eikenberry said President Obama “wants that” — although Obama was not in the meeting — and he hailed the arrival of the new USAID administrator-nominee, Rajiv Shah, “because he will not wage war when the org charts start changing.”

I am not an expert on ret. LTG Eikenberry, but his ideas seem to be complete fantasy. His last tour in country was as Commander of Combined Forces Command- Afghanistan from 2005-2007. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that when things there went completely into the shitter? 

Let's look at his cunning plan; he wants to make this a "purely civilian approach". That sounds so nice and has absolutely no chance of even happening. At the journalism fellowship Blake and I were at earlier this year we had this guy as a speaker.

Ambassador John Herbst, coordinator for Reconstruction & Stabilization, U.S. Department of State

He is the leader of the so-called civilian surge in the Stabilization and Reconstruction office Eikenberry mentions. They would be the ones to bring these non-uniformed magic ninjas to transform things into shangri-la. Keep in mind there are now only 1,000 US govt. civilians in Iraq and this guy has less than 350 to even add to that. We got a lot of time to ask him questions I let him have it from my long and fruitless experiences with State, USAID and UN civilians and their complete inability to affect conditions on the ground.

"Sir, if you are going to have any impact on the situation in Afghanistan your people are going to have to get outside the wire. It has been my experience that the risk-averse mentality of the State Dept. makes that highly unlikely. Are you willing to get a foreign service officer or other State employees killed in order to have success at your mission?"

After he was done spitting and spluttering, his answer was that as the military gave them space to work i.e. security, they would move into it. I want to state that I know there are brave folks on PRTs and other teams that do get out there all the time, but even they would admit they are the exceptions not the rule. So if wise Mr. Eikenberry is going to fix Afghanistan without military security, I sincerely hope that the cloaking devices his magic ninjas use to hide themselves from the Taliban are top notch, or maybe they can do a Team America valmorification and transform them all into terrorist look-alikes. Then a quick trip to language school to pick up some "Durka, Durka, Mohammed Jihad" and they are off to save the world. Team America World Bureaucrats.

"America, F**k Yeah. Coming again to teach you how to staff a memo. America, F**K Yeah. Admin is the only way yeah!

That'll strike fear in the hearts of the Taliban.

I think it is wonderful whenever major media outlets cover these stories and bring them to an audience that gets far too little of this. The series started on Nov. 8th and there are several stories up at the link already. We will keep you updated as it progresses.

If this is true then just about all the worst fears we had about Obama as Commander in Chief are coming true.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama does not plan to accept any of the Afghanistan war options presented by his national security team, pushing instead for revisions to clarify how and when U.S. troops would turn over responsibility to the Afghan government, a senior administration official said Wednesday.

He has already had the advice of his entire military chain of command with a near unanimous call for for reinforcements to move to the strategy that won in Iraq. We have watched as he has heard from the deep wisdom of Joe Biden and Rahm Emanuel. We have seen him dither and quibble and show a completely ineffectual and uncommitted face to our enemies and the rest of the world. Now months after his hand-picked commander has told him the situation is bad and getting worse, our troops in the field fight and die without the support of their Commander in Chief. He sent 21,000 more brave men and women there and now they are flappin' in the breeze. How can a squad leader look his men in the eyes and tell them to saddle up and head out on a patrol, perhaps to be the last to die for a cause their President no longer believes in?

You can't set the circumstances for victory before you commit to trying to win one. You can't set your strategy based on the hope that quality government will just spring up in the midst of chaos with no security. You can't just magic a functional, fighting Afghan Army out of nothing without competent US forces to first beat the insurgency down to a manageable level. Then they take the Afghans to the field for joint operations to build their confidence just like we did in Iraq. If your goal is simply to turn things over to the Afghans, then hand them the goddamn keys right now. Make a couple of passes over the worst Taliban strongholds, bomb the living shit out of them and then bring our troops home.

Whatever decision you end up making, you have shown a complete lack of leadership ability. You have made the job of our military more difficult everywhere as our enemies have seen you are not the strong horse. This entire process reeks of politics and the hands of your slimy Chicago fixers Emanuel and Axelrod. Why do I think you are looking for someone to hand you a plan that lets you start retreating before your 2012 elections and an appointment with your left wing? Well the rest of us get to vote as well sir, and we are watching your every back sliding step. America doesn't go to war based on an exit strategy, we go to win. Think about that. Also think about just how wrong you were about Iraq, over and over and over. Go in to win or bring them home now.

 
Today, little Deebow asked me "Daddy, what are those for?"  I told him that these were to honor the sacrifice of the men that Daddy was in the war with.  Then he asked, "What's a war?"

I didn't know what to say....  I don't know if I ever will.  

So instead, I tried to tell him what a "Hero" was....  I think he got bored and went and watched SpongeBob.

I helped send SFC Bernard Deghand home to his family.  I wrote in my journal at the time something that I haven't shared up until now that you can see after the jump...

Major Larry Bauguess was killed just before I left to come home.  When I found out the details of what happened, having only been on an operation with him and his boss at our firebase the week before, I was upset.  I hope his family is doing well and I feel as if I have missed out not getting to know him better, because I know he was a good man.

And as many of you know, Earl was one of my soldiers.  And that makes it all the more personal...

And to my off duty supervisor, Call-sign Household 6, Happy Veterans Day to you.  And Happy Veterans Day to every veteran, at home, at war, and retired.

I am standing there in the dark and no one is saying anything.  I can see the faces of my comrades and it seems hard for us to look at one another.  It is all business as we go over the positions we will all be in as we carry SFC Deghand and where we will walk to the helicopter when it comes in.  I can hear the bird coming and it comes to a slow hover and sets down.  When the bird landed, we went in to the freezer, assumed our positions, picked SFC Deghand up slowly and carried him to the bird.  I don’t know why at the time I felt this was important, but it seemed appropriate to say a little something before we put him on the bird, because the noise is deafening, and no one but me would hear it anyway. 

“Our Father which art in Heaven.”

The rotors are still turning and it is really loud.  The crew is in a hurry to get moving and it is late, and early.  I don’t know if anyone can hear me, but I keep saying it anyway. 

“Hallowed be thy name.”

SFC Deghand is lying on a stretcher and there is an American flag draped over him.  The edges of it are flapping in the rotor wash as we walk closer the helicopter.  It is like I am in a tunnel, I see the helo, the crew standing there, but they seem so surreal, so far away.  I keep walking, but I don’t feel like they are getting any closer.

“Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”

It seems that we suddenly reach the helicopter.  It surprises me that I am standing there.  I stop and gently place him on the floor of the helicopter. The 1SG is yelling the commands and I turn to face the man across from me.  No one makes eye contact.

“Give us this day our daily bread.”

We keep sliding him gently into the bird.  The crew takes a hold of the handles of the stretcher as we slide him across the floor.  No one is looking at anything accept the flag that is strapped to the stretcher.

“And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass.”

We salute him, turn about face, and march away from the helicopter.  We get to the entrance to the pad about 50 meters away and form 2 ranks off of the pad.

“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 

We all salute as the bird takes off.  I can feel the wind increasing and there are rocks and dust stinging my face and I can’t see the bird.  The wind is buffeting me and rocking me back and forth.  I put my head down and close my eyes against the dust as I hold my salute.  I can feel the dust sticking to my face as it is wet from the tears I cry for him and his family.

For thine is the kingdom of heaven, and the power and the glory, forever.”

And then as quickly as the bird was here, the bird is gone.  The dust subsides and we all quietly walk back to our trucks for the short ride back to our barracks and to what remains of the time we have to sleep tonight.  No one says a word, accept me.

“Amen….”

Blackfive posted up a few weeks ago a song and video that is just too HOOAH! not to listen to.  You can find that post here for The Warrior Song.

Since then, the Warrior Legacy Foundation has worked with the song's creator, Sean, and his team to 'adopt' the song for the Warrior Legacy Foundation.  Now, the WLF and The Warrior Song are one and the same in promoting its use for our Warriors!  The WLF has 'adopted' the song as its 'fight song'.

It's such a perfect fit.  If you haven't seen it, take a look at it now.  Be sure to pick up a copy of it and spread it around! 

In honor of this very special Veterans Day, the Warrior Legacy Foundation is letting you all in on a little secret- they are letting out a sneak preview of a new fundraising and awareness campaign- all led by WLF Board Member and Country Singer Derek Sholl.

This is a teaser of what is to come, and what they are working on with his team to accomplish.  Headlined under the banner ''For a moment, put yourself in their shoes..'' and have celebrities, entertainers, leaders and others be photographed in the boots of our Warriors.  Here are some sneak pictures of SOME of those who have already committed to getting photos done (and many more to come...)

The aim of the campaign is to raise awareness of the returning Warriors and their unique needs, as well as those of their families.  The WLF was set up to help care for our Warriors and their families.  Events being planned include billboard postings, a huge New Media campaign, Bus Tour, and Concert Tour.

Some more of those joining in on the campaign:

I wrote this in 2006 and wanted to share it today.

-----------------------------

Anyone who doubts all veteran's are heroes need read no further. But for the vast majority of you who do, I'd like to take a little different slant in my tribute than you might read elsewhere. Most of the time when you read tributes to vets, they're filled with the stories of those who've suffered in combat and we see pictures showing the battle-weary combat vets which pointedly make the argument about the sacrifices our veterans have made and continue to make.

But not all sacrifices are made on the field of battle. While infantry, armor and artillery are the combat arms - the tip of the spear - they, better than anyone, know how important the team that makes up the rest of the spear are to their success on the battlefield.

Those F-16s don't show up on target at the right time unless that kid flying the boom of a KC10 tanker at 30,000 feet at 2am doesn't do his job. That sabot round from an M1A1 fired at a threatening T72 isn't there unless the truck driver hauling ammo day in and day out gets that ammo where it needs to be when it needs to be there.

Veterans are the guys like the cook who gets up every morning at 3:30 am and begins to prepare breakfast for his guys and gals. The young man below deck on an aircraft carrier who makes sure the F/A 18 he's responsible for maintaining is in perfect shape and ready to fly. The nurse who holds a dying soldier's hand as he takes his last breath, wipes away the tears, straightens her uniform and heads out to do it again.

He's the kid in the fuel soaked coveralls who hasn't slept in 2 days gassing up another Bradley from his fuel tanker before they roll to the final objective. The company clerk who makes sure all of the promotion orders are correct and in on time, or the instructor in basic training who ensures those he trains get his full attention and who puts his all into helping them learn important lessons that will save their lives. He's the recruiter who'd rather be where the action is, but does what is necessary to make sure he gets the best and brightest available for his branch of service. Or the MP at the gate who shows up every day, does her job to the very best of her ability and never complains.

Most vets have never seen combat in the sense we think of it. But every single solitary one of them has contributed in vital ways to the success of our combat efforts and making this the finest military ever. Without those who support the combat troops, success would impossible. Without the wrench turners, truck drivers, fuel handlers, cooks, clerks and all those like them, the greatest military the world has ever seen is an "also ran."

It doesn't matter what a vet did during his or her service, it matters that he or she chose to serve and do whatever vital job they were assigned to the best of their ability. It isn't about medals, it isn't about glory, it isn't about what job they did. It is about the fact that when their country called, they stood up and answered. They are all, every one of them, heroes.

To all the vets out there - Happy Veteran's Day.

And thank you for your service.

Pearl Harbor survivor Houston James of Dallas embraces Marine Staff Sgt. Mark Graunke Jr. during a Veterans Day commemoration in Dallas. Graunke lost a hand, a leg and and eye when he was injured by a bomb in Iraq last year. (AP Photo)

"A man who is good enough to shed his blood for his country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards." - Theodore Roosevelt

Again this year (sort of a Veterans Day tradition), I wanted to offer up my favorite Veterans Day article from the late, great Mike Royko (1932 - 1997) who penned it in 1993.  I don't care if you were a paratrooper, cook, medic, grunt, pilot, or ran the laundry and bath point, you have my thanks for serving our country.

I think Mike's got the right idea about how to celebrate Veterans Day, GI-Style:

I just phoned six friends and asked them what they will be doing on Monday.

They all said the same thing: working.

Me, too.

There is something else we share. We are all military veterans.

And there is a third thing we have in common. We are not employees of the federal government, state government, county government, municipal government, the Postal Service, the courts, banks, or S & Ls, and we don’t teach school.

If we did, we would be among the many millions of people who will spend Monday goofing off.

Which is why it is about time Congress revised the ridiculous terms of Veterans Day as a national holiday.

The purpose of Veterans Day is to honor all veterans.

So how does this country honor them?...

...By letting the veterans, the majority of whom work in the private sector, spend the day at their jobs so they can pay taxes that permit millions of non-veterans to get paid for doing nothing.

As my friend Harry put it:

"First I went through basic training. Then infantry school. Then I got on a crowded, stinking troop ship that took 23 days to get from San Francisco to Japan. We went through a storm that had 90 percent of the guys on the ship throwing up for a week.

"Then I rode a beat-up transport plane from Japan to Korea, and it almost went down in the drink. I think the pilot was drunk.

"When I got to Korea, I was lucky. The war ended seven months after I got there, and I didn’t kill anybody and nobody killed me.

"But it was still a miserable experience. Then when my tour was over, I got on another troop ship and it took 21 stinking days to cross the Pacific.

"When I got home on leave, one of the older guys at the neighborhood bar — he was a World War II vet — told me I was a ----head because we didn’t win, we only got a tie.

"So now on Veterans Day I get up in the morning and go down to the office and work.

"You know what my nephew does? He sleeps in. That’s because he works for the state.

"And do you know what he did during the Vietnam War? He ducked the draft by getting a job teaching at an inner-city school.

"Now, is that a raw deal or what?"

Of course that’s a raw deal. So I propose that the members of Congress revise Veterans Day to provide the following:

- All veterans — and only veterans — should have the day off from work. It doesn’t matter if they were combat heroes or stateside clerk-typists.

Anybody who went through basic training and was awakened before dawn by a red-neck drill sergeant who bellowed: "Drop your whatsis and grab your socks and fall out on the road," is entitled.

- Those veterans who wish to march in parades, make speeches or listen to speeches can do so. But for those who don’t, all local gambling laws should be suspended for the day to permit vets to gather in taverns, pull a couple of tables together and spend the day playing poker, blackjack, craps, drinking and telling lewd lies about lewd experiences with lewd women. All bar prices should be rolled back to enlisted men’s club prices, Officers can pay the going rate, the stiffs.

- All anti-smoking laws will be suspended for Veterans Day. The same hold for all misdemeanor laws pertaining to disorderly conduct, non-felonious brawling, leering, gawking and any other gross and disgusting public behavior that does not harm another individual.

- It will be a treasonable offense for any spouse or live-in girlfriend (or boyfriend, if it applies) to utter the dreaded words: "What time will you be home tonight?"

- Anyone caught posing as a veteran will be required to eat a triple portion of chipped beef on toast, with Spam on the side, and spend the day watching a chaplain present a color-slide presentation on the horrors of VD.

- Regardless of how high his office, no politician who had the opportunity to serve in the military, but didn’t, will be allowed to make a patriotic speech, appear on TV, or poke his nose out of his office for the entire day.

Any politician who defies this ban will be required to spend 12 hours wearing headphones and listening to tapes of President Clinton explaining his deferments.

Now, deal the cards and pass the tequila.

- Mike Royko

Amen, Mike, Amen.

Now, where is that tequila?

I know you're not surprised.  I guess I still expect more from "professionals". For posterity, here's a screen shot of the NYTimes Veterans Day Section (archive):

On the right for web headlines about Veterans Day issues, the NYTimes lists:

Michael Moore - This Just In
GOP to send Veterans Day letter to Obama asking for troop increase to Afghanistan

CNN Political Ticker
Senator: 131,000 homeless vets a 'disgrace'

TAPPED
Think Tank Round-Up: Obvious Benefits to the Economy Edition.

VetVoice
Coal Front Group Hijacks Veterans, Dishonors Veterans' Day

BLACKFIVE
Five Student Veterans You Should Meet

I realize that it's pulling a feed.  But still, a little editing here?

When Michael Moore's voice counts on Veterans Day to veterans, that's the day I'll know this country is done.  But for now, it's the NYTimes has Moore for stories on vets.  And VetVoice, CNN, Moore, etc. are in the rotation.

Where the Hell is Mudville Gazette?  Where is the Castle Argghhh! ?  Where the freak is Bouhammer?  SpouseBuzz? Villainous Company?  The US Naval Institute?  I could go on all day.  Maybe we need to ensure we're added enmasse?

But that's not all...

Here is a list of their articles about Vets on Veterans Day which some seem more appropriate (at least a few of them):

Gridiron Gladiators: Block That Metaphor! - “Fox NFL Sunday,” which was broadcast from Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan, glorified fake warriors and their game, and played to a crowd of real warriors locked in an eight-year-old conflict.

Back From War, but Not Really Home - A sense of dislocation has been shared by veterans returning from war since Homer conjured Odysseus’ inauspicious return some 2,800 years ago.

Bush Honors Veterans at the Intrepid - Bush receives praise for his leadership since 9/11.

Decades Later, Recognition of a Seaman’s Heroics - America may not make presidents of those who serve it in uniform, but it does try not to forget them.

Echo of a Distant War -To seek peace, to oppose war, to cherish memory is a way to honor veterans on this day of armistice, this Veterans Day.

A Holiday to End All Wars - For Americans, Veterans Day celebrates the survivors of all the nation’s 20th and 21st century wars. In France and Britain, by contrast, the mood is altogether more somber.

All in all, I'd give the NYTimes Veterans Day Section a D+.

Mike Royko's article about Veterans Day is the best I've ever read.  We republish it here every Veterans Day.  I'll be at work but I'll set it to post for you all tomorrow.

Pass the tequila.

We are almost there, or are we? Times are tough, but there is always more we can do.  Yet, sometimes we need a bit more incentive to go do it.  Well, we have some incentive for you.  Patti and others are willing to go bald if you will take it over the top.  With an example like that, how can I fail to step up?

If Team Army gets to $50,000 by Wednesday evening, I will go bald as well.  I will even arrange to have photos or video taken if you can kick it up to that level. 

So, what's it to be?  Shall we just barely equal the Marines, or show what Army Strange Strong really means. 

LW

(h/t HA) Holy crap. This might be funnier than those MMA guys giving wedgies. The most realistic depiction of life during wartime you may ever see short of enlisting yourself.

(h/t Steve Hayes) President Obama's National Security Adviser is ret. Gen. James Jones. He recently gave an interview to the German magazine Spiegel in which he makes some statements that evoke questions about his commitment to our efforts in Afghanistan.

SPIEGEL: The Obama administration is reviewing the strategy for Afghanistan. General Stanley McChrystal, the top US commander in Afghanistan, is asking for additional troops.

Jones: Generals always ask for more troops. Take it from me.

SPIEGEL: You would know. You're also a general and you were in Afghanistan from 2003 to almost 2007 ...

Jones: ... and of course when I was there I asked for more troops. When we started in 2003, we had to develop a plan. So by definition, you have to ask for people.

SPIEGEL: And now you support General McChrystal's demand for 40,000 additional troops?

Jones: We are in the middle of a process with the president and all of his advisers in assessing the overall situation in Afghanistan. I believe we will not solve the problem with troops alone. The minimum number is important, of course. But there is no maximum number, however. And what's really important in Afghanistan is that with this new administration we insist on good governance, that it be coordinated with economic development and security, and that we have much, much better success at handing over responsibility for these three things to the Afghans.

Now so far I find little to disagree with although his somewhat flippant remark that Generals always ask for more troops is a warning sign.

SPIEGEL: Afghanistan is famously referred to as the "graveyard of empires."

Jones: I know and that's why I say we cannot solve the problems with only military forces. You can keep on putting troops in, and you could have 200,000 troops there and the country will swallow them up as it has done in the past. There are many empires who tried to make Afghanistan a stable and different country, and there have always been neighbors which were not interested in a stable and centralized government.

"You can keep on putting troops in, and you could have 200,000 troops there and the country will swallow them up as it has done in the past." That is the bit that worries me. It is a fair point to make, but coming from Jones who has already talked a little smack about McChrystal keeping his mouth shut etc, and his over all unhappiness w/ Karzai and the situation there I think he is a voice against fully resourcing the COIN efforts. The press continue to report that the options McChrystal asked for low medium and high risk topped out at 40k troops. That is not the case, he was told not to officially request the 60+ k that he felt were really warranted. So any triangulation down from 40k is already increasing the risk. I am sick as hell of the constant game of leak and counterleak as this administration attempts to fly what a prominent defense analyst this week told me is a "fleet of trial balloons". 

Win or lose, victory or defeat. Make the call sir!

I won't claim to speak for anyone else, but for me, watching or attending military memorial or funeral services can just about rip my guts out. Frankly, I've gotten where I hate movies or television that feature taps or a bagpipe playing Amazing Grace.  If you, like me, need something to take you away and change your mental state, I would share a memory of my father's funeral that still can bring a bit of humor even during that difficult moment.

Dad had a military funeral, and even though most there knew what that entailed, I'm not sure all were prepared for it.  Having been busy and going for days since I rushed home when things started downhill, I was tired but busy.  Taking care of Dad, his care, and final time, and all that comes with such a loss had been my focus and my way of coping.  It was at the end of the service, when almost all was done and I had no more to watch, check, or care for that it began to hit.  The final words were said, and the Marines rendered honors.  I can't begin to describe my thoughts at that moment, but the first volley ended up taking me almost to laughter.  It probably isn't nice of me, but that's where I almost went courtesy of my youngest niece, who was in her early 20s.  When the volley was fired, she didn't just jump a bit, she probably came a full foot out of her chair, and then leaped/lunged across her big sister's lap like she was diving for safety.  I knew that the loss was hitting her hard, but her reaction (esp. since she did seem like she might keep going for ground and cover) almost made me laugh out loud.  I found out that some others present thought she might be hitting the deck too, and had a hard time not laughing. 

She never realized it, but my niece gave me a gift that hard day that as been a grace more than once since.  When services reach that point, and emotions build, I will turn to that memory and find some peace and a reminder that humor is not just the best medicine, it is also one heck of a good shield.  May any of you who need it, now or at any time, use that during dark times to drive back that which surrounds. 

LW

LW 

getting an early start on Veteran's Day...

From Bouhammer:

My good friends, Derek and Todd at Vision Strike Wear and Dom at Hooah Radio have teamed up to help the families of the fallen and wounded at Fort Hood. This a small business still trying to turn a profit and a non-profit who’s focus is on the troops. Regardless, they have teamed up to help out the best they can.

VSW and and Hooah Radio are donating $.50 from the sale of every single item sold on Vision Strike Wear from now until Christmas Eve to the Chaplain’s Fund at Ft. Hood Tx. It does not matter if it is a sticker, T-shirt, Hat, or whatever, they will put aside $.50 for every item sold and then on Christmas Eve send a check to the Chaplain’s Fund to help the families of the fallen and wounded.

In addition, any item sold on Vision Strike Wear can have FREE SHIPPING by using the coupon code “HooahRadio1″ at checkout. Yes, that is right, FREE SHIPPING on ANY ITEM for sale on Vision Strike Wear. So you can buy something from the normal Vision Strike Wear Collection or something from the items in the Bouhammer Gear Store or from anywhere on the site and have $.50 go to the Families Fund and even get FREE SHIPPING.

If there is anything on the site you like, to include the famous and ever popular Twitter-Bird Shirt, ETT Venom Shirt, 9/11 Tribute Shirt, or any of the other popular items in the Bouhammer Gear Store Collection.

LW

Right after Tombstone and the entire Firefly series comes this video of Blackfive friend and uber-badass (and SF sniper) Tim Kennedy and Recon Marine Jon Walsh. Both are multiple tour (intense) combat vets, both have just returned from training Marines in Mixed Martial Arts techniques. This video is not about those techniques.

The guys at RangerUp are on fire. Don't put them out (they can take it, they ARE Rangers after all). Buy their shirts. Support their fighters.

Which one was the Department of Homeland Security concerned about?

Start with a horrific act of murder -- and that is what happened, murder -- and a lot of confusion.  Rule to remember is that the initial reports are always wrong, especially when dealing with national mainstream media.  The locals did better, but they too were dealing with the fog. 

Mix in a typical dose of immediate denial of terrorism by the Federal Government, well before any basic facts are known.  Typical, and has been the playbook since 9/12 (and one that needs to be dropped).

Add to it a mainstream media determined to push PTSD, and when that couldn't be done they come up with PTSD by proxy.  Yes, such a thing can exist, but it is rare and not terribly well documented at that from what I can find.  Yet, you wouldn't know that from most coverage. 

Add in yet more from the mainstream media pushing the pistol used as a "cop killer" despite the fact there appear to be no documented cases of an officer even being wounded with one, much less killed.  The officers at Ft. Hood appear to be the first ever shot -- thankfully, they did not prove the lie by dying. 

Then we have a Commander-in-Chief who gives an address to the nation, and is so tone deaf and more such that he places the tragedy at the last.  This is a bit of politics, as it allowed the President to showcase what he saw as the more important item first, and ensured that the networks would not cut away from same.  That this also increased airtime/facetime is just a bonus from the White House point-of-view.  A President who did not go to Dover with no photo ops (word is all families declined coverage), and has yet to go to Ft. Hood, and also couldn't be bothered to attend the celebrations of the fall of the wall that every other major and minor world leader is attending. 

Continue the celebrity-like coverage of the traitor and giving far less coverage to the victims.  The people who helped others.  The ones who ran to the sound of guns instead of away.  The ones who died and the ones who lived get a mere fraction of the rationalizing, apologizing, and excusive (well, it ought to be a word) coverage given a sorry sack.  Watch the so-called experts twisting themselves into pretzels to avoid the obvious, even to the point of saying there is no clear evidence -- despite eye witness accounts -- that the killer said anything, much less Allahu Akbar. 

Blow in a raft of warnings against backlash against Muslims from the President on down.  Yep, I remember the horrific backlash in the days right after 9-11, when the Amish death wagons rolled into Muslim neighborhoods and what happened to those poor souls taken into the Presbyterian churches...  Oh, wait, that's right, very little happened in those days.  This reaction of our so-called elite says far more about them and what they might do than it does about the population at large... 

Now add the final ingredient:  A General of the Army who says that losing diversity would be a greater loss than 13 dead and 29 wounded. 

And you wonder why no one was willing to step forward and make a formal complaint or notice about a killer who was very open about who and what he was?  You wonder why no one pushed the obvious investigations, from the FBI on? 

I had more, but right now, just am not sure it is worth it.  No leader, civilian or military, is going to own up to their responsibility and all have just shown how much they truly think of those who serve in our military.  Disgusted doesn't begin to cover my feelings, and I truly fear what is to come, for if we are not willing to deal fairly and evenly with all, then we have already lost all.  Failure to face facts and deal realistically means more and true horrors to come. 

For the terminally stupid out there, I am NOT advocating discrimination.  On the contrary, I am pointing out the reverse discrimination -- and rampant PC idiocy -- that allowed this horrific event to take place.  Or, do you think that if this had been someone with Savage or Beck book to their name that our great and mighty media would not be shouting about the right wing terrorist as loudly as they could?

LW

While we have Veterans Day, this Wednesday will be Remembrance Day for our friends in the Commonwealth. Below are a few videos in honor of their sacrifices.

Here's a video that an American Marine sent me that is about our Canadian brothers and sisters.

And you can't ever forget Aussie Beccy Cole's Poster Girl:

Any others out there? Link to them in Comments.

Today I attended the premiere screening of the Institute for the Study of War's documentary "The Surge- The untold story" which can be viewed in it's entirety at the link (click on Screening room). It's very well made and does an excellent job of reminding you just how bad things were and how much went into the amazing turnaround. It featured interviews w/ most of the major players incl. Gen. Petraeus, Amb. Crocker and many of the combatant commanders involved. I was interesting to think back to when this plan was being developed and discussed and see how many parallels there are to right now and the situation in Afghanistan. While there are stark differences between the two countries and conflicts, many of the basic arguments are the same.

After the screening there was a panel to discuss the Surge and take a few questions featuring:

Gen. Jack Keane (ret.) who was a proponent and architect of the Surge strategy

Kim Kagan who runs ISW and recently served on Gen. McChrystal's review of the Afghan situation.

Gen. Jim Dubik (ret.) who commanded MNI-STCI which was the group that trained all the Iraq security forces. While the US combat brigades that created the surge are the usual focus, Gen. Dubik's command trained and fielded 125,000 Iraqi Army and National Police in 15 months providing the vital indigenous element.

COL Dave Sutherland who commanded the Brigade in Diyala Province with the most diverse tribal population in Iraq during the Surge.

Michael Gordon a NY Times reporter who was embedded w/ multiple units during the Surge.

There were many factors that led to our success in Iraq and many of the lessons learned there can be applied to the Afghan war. It is chilling to consider defeat at the hands of al Qaeda and the Taliban and the resulting recruiting and fundraising bonanza that would give them. The President's long over due answer on Afghanistan, seems to be getting closer and I hope it gives our commanders the resources they need to win.

Here is the trailer for the film

Understanding the Surge - The Trailer from ISW on Vimeo.

Another reason to be proud of our troops.  Another Hero emerges from this incident.

Listen to his comments about the experience, being Irish, and heading to Afghanistan.

Please take a moment to go meet Lt. Col. Warman, a true hero and a true care-giver.  You will not hear her story in the media, other than a footnote.  She, and the others, deserve the lionizing coverage being given a cowardly bit of scum.  

Though Blackfive has already covered it, today is a special day to remember some other fallen heroes as well.  

It is also a day to remember the falling of a wall, an event I thought I would never see no matter how many worked to make it so.  Remember those who died to bring it down, from inside and out.  

More thoughts and such to come, but for now, remember the fallen for in doing so they are never forgotten.  That such walked among us is a blessing.  May the light shine on those they leave behind.

LW

I'd ask that go to this post, read it, but more importantly, READ THE COMMENTS.  Then, come back and read after the Jump.

A Sergeant's last mission for his commander:

I'm Sgt Maj Bill Skiles and I was Doug's 1st Sgt in Echo Co. in 2004 in Fallujah. I would like to tell you the Doug Zembiec that you won't read about in papers. I shared a hooch with this man for the 7 months and we would talk about everything from his marines to what it will be like to be married. Doug is known for his tremendous warrior spirit and his physical strength. He was a physical specimen but he had a heart of gold. The qualities that I still live with thanks to him are humility and sincerity, Doug would be the first to hug a PFC and tell him it's OK, not put him down for being weak. He would be the first person to stand up for you if he felt you were being treated unfairly. When he told someone he will do something, he did it and made sure you know the results and if you didn't he wouldn't sleep until you understood what was happening. Doug was so confident is his own abilities, he had every right to be the most arrogant man alive if he wanted and could back it up. But he knew who he was and would always tell me that any leader that had to be a righteous prick towards his own marines was probably thin skinned and was insecure on who they were. He would call some of these marines " Junior Varsity" and that they were full of jackassery !! His words……..Doug and I had made a deal on the day our first wounded went down in late March 04. The deal was that I take care and account for all wounded and he would keep the rest focused for the fight. This agreement was made because he could not handle seeing his marines bleeding and hurting…..He and I would weep behind closed doors during some of the trying times with mass casualties. Doug's emotions were always worn on his sleeve and I really admired that. His troops admired that…He showed us all that he was human, he cared deeply about us and felt what we felt. I cannot name another commander that ALL of his troops would give THEIR lives for if needed. He wasn't fake, he wasn't the most politically correct officer but in the troops eyes that walked the streets with him and fought and sacrificed with him understood. That bond is hard to teach any ego….I wish all commanders could learn just a little of the humility and sincerity this warrior displayed daily to every marine regardless of rank. Doug's marines loved to laugh with him, cry with him and mostly fight and kill the enemy with him…..and every marine knew that when Doug shows up to a fight, it makes them feel a little better. Doug allowed the chaplain to perform services during firefights, comforting our grieving warriors after loss and listened to our corpsman on how to take better care of the fallen…..From his firm handshake to a grieving hug together, I will miss him until I join him. I will even miss the hairiest man on earth, from the eyebrows on down..Poor guy had no hair above his eyebrows but he was a human woolly pulley every where else. He would try to shave his back before patrols and always miss various spots and yes, I would help finish the job…What are buddies for ?? Doug Zembiec would never talk about himself, talk about what's he done, talk about any of his accomplishments because he told me that no one really cares about what you have done…as you command, the marines want to know what you can do now and the future….Well said…The day Doug received his Bronze Star with "V", he wept, I wept and I hugged this warrior and no words were spoken……I know why we wept…We would talk over and over again with valor is sacrifice and he thought this valor medal will never match the sacrifice that his marines went though. Humility again shows itself…..About his new family, Doug LOVED Pam and being a dad made him even more humble…Her birth was the proudest day ever for him…...Until her birth he told me the proudest moment in his life was leading the marines of Echo Co in battle. I could talk for days about how much this man meant to me and to his marines but I know throughout my life I will know about a man that was the definition of what a marine should be, what a committed husband and father should be and what this country looks for in a true hero in every stretch of the word. I will spend a couple hours with him tomorrow night when it's my turn to watch over his body and we will finish what we've talked about for those 7 months and both find peace.

I love you Doug

Sgt Maj Bill Skiles

SERGEANT MAJOR WILLIAM SKILES, USMC
HMLA-267 STINGERS
MAG-39, CAMP PENDLETON, CA
" NO SKILL, NO KILL"

And what a witness saw at the funeral:

SgtMaj Skiles accomplished his final casualty evacuation today...

Except this time it was not under fire, or in Fallujah, or side by side with his commander Maj Doug Zembiec. Instead, today, SgtMaj Skiles ensured that the body of his commander was solemnly borne into and out of the US Naval Academy Chapel. What probably very few know, is that SgtMaj Skiles, Maj Zembiec’s 1st Sgt in Fallujah, was single-handedly responsible for moving day-after-day under intense enemy fire and mortar attacks to evacuate the wounded and dead Marines of Echo Company who pushed deep into the heart of enemy held territory - enemy held territory smack in the middle of that sorrowful, small city on the Euphrates. This time he has come to the aide his “captain” and borne him from the battle.

I was at the funeral today - as I came to know Maj Zembiec and SgtMaj Skiles in Fallujah. I was recording their operations for the Marine Corps History Division. I was not the first - LtCol P (Rule308 & Op-For) first documented their actions as he lived with the company in their further-most positions during the initial assault in Mar 04. As opposed to LtCol P’s gathered accounts of valorous Marines in action, mine were after-the-fact - they were emotional, heart-felt accounts of physical strength and determination, of pride and humility, but also of grief and sorrow for those who did not return from the battle. Chief among these were the accounts of SgtMaj Skiles, who spent hours with me in a small room, recounting the actions of his Marines, his Corpsmen, his commander. Maj Zembiec did the same, spending hours recollecting the actions of his Marines, and never quite seeming to remember any details about himself, unless, of-course, it was showing me where he still had shrapnel in legs, and his flak jacket, which still had a huge chunk embedded, you guessed it, right in front of his crotch.… He was proud of this and laughed as he recalled it.

Today, on the grounds of the Naval Academy, I entered the Chapel. Soaring ceilings, the sun beaming down through the haze of incense and coming to rest on the pink granite walls, images of valor carved into every surface, enormous stained glass windows, flags, and anchors at every turn, it all rests on the bones of John Paul Jones… It was filled to capacity by Marines and Sailors, all friends of Doug Zembiec. Quiet - very, very quiet. Black mourning bands on uniforms, ushers, and the meeting of old friends, when, if met under different circumstances, would have been full of handshakes and friendly insults. Today, stiff upper lips where the order of the day, and a profound sorrow, often masked with reserved smiles and red eyes could be felt like a pall hanging over the funeral. All felt as though they were family, all were family indeed.

I was awed - for I’ve never encountered a more august group of warriors. …This was no endless legion of retired, old soldiers of another war with faded medals and rosettes hung on suits which have seen better days, but a battalion or two of strong, proud, physical men. Warriors, as evidenced by their row-upon row of medals and aquilletes, who have faced the enemy not in the halls of the CP, but on the uneven, unyielding fields of valor which have beckoned us forward. They’ve stepped into that dangerous clearing in the woods and fought - to the death.

And so it is that this gathering represented what Doug Zembiec was a large part of, but most importantly, ensured grew and flowered. He brought together, through a dynamic spirit, brute physical strength, and his unyielding friendship, groups of warriors who pursued their mission with zeal and a deep belief in their cause. He, and the other warriors here today, helped foster this, our new generation of happy warriors, who will carry the colors forward. He was both a ruthless gardener and joyful planter on the blood soaked fields of valor which he tilled.

This was the family that gathered to honor this man, this was the family that grieved, but most importantly, this was the family that found strength through what Maj Zembiec brought to the world, and to our Corps.

And so, as SgtMaj Skiles performed his final mission in support of his commander, you could hear the tinkling of his medals it was so, so quiet. SgtMaj Skiles sword was drawn as he led the procession out of the chapel, accompanied by a mournful Gregorian chant, sung by a lone baritone, in navy whites, somewhere in the distance.

Maj W, USMC
16 May 07

During these tough economic times, there are a few stand-up companies that continue to support military and veterans.

After the Jump, I'll put some official announcements for vets.  If I miss an announcement or a benefit, feel free to post it in the Comments.

We'll start off with the Golden Corral which will support vets on next Monday (NOT VETERANS DAY):

Golden Corral
Military Appreciation Monday
Free "Thank You" Dinner
Monday, Nov. 16, 2009,
5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Golden Corral's 9th annual Military Appreciation Monday dinner will be held on Monday, November 16, 2009, from 5 to 9 pm in all Golden Corral restaurants nationwide.

The free dinner meal is a special "thank you tribute" to any person who has ever served in the United States Military. If you are a veteran, retired, currently serving, in the National Guard or Reserves, you are invited to join us for Golden Corral's Military Appreciation Monday dinner.

To date, Golden Corral restaurants have provided over 2.2 million free meals and contributed over $3.3 million to the Disabled American Veterans

organization. To locate a Golden Corral near you, visitwww.goldencorral.com/locator .

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the date this year?
Monday, November 16

What identification do I need to provide?
No identification is required for the service member

Who is eligible for the free "thank you" dinner?
Any person who has served in the US Military (retirees, veterans, active duty, National Guard or Reserves)

Why does Golden Corral provide this dinner?
Our Corporation is very proud of the men and women who are serving and who have served and we are honored to offer this special night to congratulate them in person.

Can I bring my family?
We know that spouses, children, and mothers and fathers deserve a heart-felt thank you too for their own personal sacrifices here at home. Family and friends are welcome to come join the celebration for our military heroes; however, the free 'thank you' dinner is for the person who served, other guests will pay the regular dinner menu pricing.

Why is the Military Appreciation Monday dinner not on Veterans Day?
Golden Corral does not hold the Military Appreciation Monday 'thank you' dinner on Veterans Day because we do not want to interfere with a veteran's parade or other scheduled event.

I have to work on November 16, can I come another date?
Nov 16 is the designated special night to honor all military personnel and thank them for their service. The dinner preparations leading up to and including this night are a tremendous operational challenge for all 485 Golden Corral restaurants. There are literally hundreds of co-workers in each restaurant, plus the management team, food distribution companies, printing of materials, scheduling the DAV representatives, etc that need to be coordinated for this one single night. Golden Corral restaurants usually serve over 325,000 guests on this single night.

Can I have a rain check for another night?
There are no rain checks for November 16. We hope you can arrange your schedule to join us.

Can I have my free "thank you" meal as a take-out meal?
There are no take-out meals associated with this dinner as most veterans feel that this is a great opportunity to renew old friendships, make new friends, and simply enjoy the evening as Golden Corral's special guest.

How many meals has Golden Corral served over the past 8 years of Military Appreciation Monday?
Golden Corral restaurants have served over 2.156 million free 'thank you' meals to our heroes in the military over the past 8 years.

How much has Golden Corral donated to the Disabled American Veterans over the past 8 years?
Golden Corral restaurants and their guests have donated over $3.27 million dollars to the Disabled American Veterans organization in the past 8 years.

The National Parks have FREE admission for Vets on Veterans Day:

National Parks Honor America’s Armed Forces
Free Admission on Veterans Day

WASHINGTON – From the beginnings of our nation to this very day, brave Americans have fought to protect our country and defend the principles on which it was founded.

On Veterans Day, November 11, our country honors the service of those who have answered the call at places like Lexington and Concord. Guilford Courthouse. Saratgoa. Yorktown. Fort McHenry. Horseshoe Bend. Gettysburg. Antietam. Valley Forge. Appomattox. Shiloh. Kennesaw Mountain. Vicksburg. Wilson’s Creek. USS Arizona. The names are ingrained in our national memory. The places are preserved forever as national parks.

“As part of the national observance of Veterans Day, entrance fees will be waived at all national parks,” said National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis. “This is just a small way we can honor our veterans and active duty military, reserves, National Guard, and their families. It is also an opportunity for all Americans to visit a national park that tells a veteran’s story and learn more about the struggles and the people who have kept our nation strong for more than 200 years.”

To learn more about how national parks preserve and commemorate the service of the American military visit Honor America’s Veterans at Battlefields and Military Parks Preserved in the National Park System. Or search for a close-to-home national park by clicking on “refine your search” and entering your zip code in our park finder.

Many of the 392 national parks have planned special events on Veterans Day including:

World War II Memorial, Washington, DC – 8 a.m. color guard from the Military District of Washington, special speakers, wreath-laying, and taps. Contact: Friends of the National World War II Memorial, (202) 747-4258.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, DC – 1 p.m. annual Veterans Day Observance at the Wall. Contact: Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund at (202) 393-0090.

Valley Forge National Historical Park, Pennsylvania – 10:30 a.m. wreath laying at the National Memorial Arch with the Friends of Valley Forge Park and the Korea DMZ Veterans Association. Contact: Ann Marie Maher at (610) 783-1006 or maher@valleyforge.org.

General Grant National Memorial, New York – 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. living history displays and demonstrations of the evolution of the American Army during the 19th century. Contact: Mindi Rambo at (212) 668-2208 or mindi_rambo@nps.gov.

Free entrance on Veterans Day applies also applies at other areas managed by the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture’s U.S. Forest Service.

Uno, a great Chicago-style pizza chain has an offer:

Special Offer on Veteran's Day

BOSTON, Nov. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Uno Chicago Grill(® )would like to thank those men and women who have risked their lives in service to our country. This Veteran's Day, UNO(®) invites all members of the military, both veterans and active duty, to enjoy a free entree or individual pizza with the purchase of an entree or pizza of equal or greater value.

No coupon is necessary. Veterans or active military can either show up in uniform, or with a picture of themselves in uniform, or with a military or veteran's ID.

And Lowe's is offering a 10% discount all week:

Lowe's home improvement stores are offering a special 10 percent discount to military personnel and retirees over the Veterans Day holiday.

A statement from the Mooresville, N.C., firm says the company is offering the discount on in-store and special order purchases up to a maximum of $5,000. The offer starts Sunday and lasts the week. Veterans Day is Wednesday.

The company says only people from the active duty ranks, reservists, honorably discharged and retired military men and women with valid identification or proof of service are eligible.

The company says it has 1,675 stores in the United States and Canada and employs more than 12,000 military veterans.

Applebee's is providing a free meal:

Applebee’s Free Meal on Veterans Day

Applebee’s is supporting military veterans again this year by offering military members and veterans a free meal on Veterans Day. Simply show proof of military service, including showing up in uniform, military ID, military service organization ID (VFW card, etc), a picture of you in uniform, or other proof, and select a free meal from a special menu. For more information, visit the AppleBee’s Veterans Day page.

I am not impressed. You may say I was set up not to be impressed simply because of my ideological preferences and the fact that Barack Obama is the antithesis of those preferences. But this has nothing to do with politics. No I don't agree with most of what he stands for on the political scene, but that really has nothing to do with him acting like the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces. And no, a photo op at Dover doesn't fulfill the role. Nor does a substitute visit to Walter Reed when soldiers are hurting at Ft. Hood and 13 are dead.

Nor does an insensitive and tone deaf "shout out" during a speech and prior to finally getting to the horrific news of Ft. Hood cut it either. The tragedy at Ft. Hood was a moment and a chance for a president, about whom the armed forces aren't yet sure, to step up and assume one of the most important roles he has - that of Commander in Chief. And, frankly, he blew it. And I'm not alone in that assessment. The liberal Boston Globe certainly seemed to understand he'd blown it:

“It takes more than scripted eloquence for Presidents to connect with fellow Americans. It requires a visceral ability to grasp the scope of tragedy, calculate its impact on the national psyche, and react swiftly. Obama missed the first moment to show he understood how much it hurt.”

Even with that, he had a chance to redeem himself in the eyes of the military. There were a lot of hurting people at Ft. Hood who would have appreciated a visit from their CiC. Instead he left it to a former Commander in Chief to fulfill the role while he took "R&R" at Camp David for the weekend. As the Globe puts it, he seems to have completely missed the "scope of the tragedy" and its impact. More importantly he seems indifferent to his duties as CiC.

One of the best bloggers on the net when it comes to this sort of a subject is Cassandra at Villainous Company. She has a must read essay in which she eloquently points out why Obama simply doesn't "get" the military, and most likely never will. In my opinion, given what I've seen thus far, he appears to be totally unsuited to be the Commander in Chief.

Eloquence or style are no substitutes for leadership. An effective Commander in Chief leads. He doesn't vote "present". He doesn't outsource his job. He doesn't give it lip service. When those he's leading are hurting, he's there immediately. He acts like a leader, he empathizes like a leader and he makes decisions like a leader. And what he gains with his leadership is one of the hardest things in the world to earn and keep - respect.

At the moment I have absolutely no respect for the Commander in Chief of this nation. And I suspect that feeling is shared by a very good portion of our military and military families. My title is a rhetorical question. Unfortunately, given his performance so far, I'm pretty sure I know the answer

5:15 pm Eastern on Arise America w/ Jim Kohlman

then 8:15 pm Eastern on Freedom Radio's Nitecap w/ Patricia Carfagno

I believe that this young man is a medic with someone's blood on his shirt.  Words do not describe the pride I feel or the gratitude that we have such people in our military:

 

A first responder to a lone gunman's attack at Fort Hood Nov. 5 renders honors at retreat after aiding his fellow soldiers. U.S. Army photo

More photos of the incident below and after the Jump:

 

Post police take cover when a gunman fires shots at the Fort Hood Soldier Readiness Processing Center Nov. 5, 2009. U.S. Army photo

 

 

First responders use a table as a stretcher to transport a wounded soldier to an awaiting ambulance at Fort Hood Nov. 5, 2009. U.S. Army photo

A U.S. Army soldier comforts a woman during the deadly shooting on Fort Hood, Texas, Nov. 5, 2009. Thirteen13 people were killed and 30 injured in a rampage. DoD Video Screengrab

Officer Kimberly Munley is a warrior. When the murderous bastard at Ft. Hood started killing she stopped him and God bless her for that. 

I have avoided writing anything about this as my thoughts ought not to be paraded in public. This is a time to honor the dead, care for their families and give our thoughts and prayers to the wounded.

I will only say I'm glad the son of a bitch lived and we get to kill him properly. Do we still have firing squads?

I work with quite of few former infantrymen, and I get quite a bit of crap from them.  Yesterday though, I only heard one thing from them as they watched the news coming from Fort Hood.

Thank God for the Military Police Corps...

There are going to be recognition of the heroes and inevitable recriminations from what happened at Fort Hood.  The US Army has some explaining to do in regard to how an animal like this was allowed to continue to serve after some of the things that are initially coming out about his religious beliefs, his speech and his internet traffic.  This was an attack on our country by a believer in a religion that believes we are at war with each other, despite our own protestations to the contrary.

As a member of the Military Police Corps, I am disappointed to hear that an outside agency was called in to set up sharpshooters and such.  Military Police have the ability through the deployment of our own SRT (usually one on every major post).  I know that Fort Hood had one at one time (my boss Capt. Jack was a sharpshooter on the team), but with the pace of deployments and the changing of how we source these things in the Army, there may not be one now.  I will continue to check on this before I shoot my mouth off however, as this story continues to develop.

Bottom line of rme is that we take care of our own.  

My prayers continue to go out to the families of the dead and wounded.  I continue to pray for the health and speedy recovery of the wounded.  And we should do what we can to help those in need there right now.

I will have much more to say on this very soon....

First, Soldiers' Angels is gathering cards for the families of the fallen and the wounded.

SOLDIERS' ANGELS STANDING BY FOR FT. HOOD-- Collecting cards and NEW stuffed animals for the families and children of the fallen/wounded heroes. Please send cards and stuffed animals/blankets/anything NEW that may brighten the life of a child to:

Soldiers' Angels Warehouse
4408 PanAm Expressway
San Antonio, TX 78218

WE WILL FOCUS on the HOLIDAY OUTREACH as a major push.

Next, as the media tried to make PTS an issue (across all networks), I called a few producers to let them know that Hasan had never served overseas.  No "combat-related" PTS.

Also, the media tries for victim-hood on Hasan.  Apparently, reports are that he was harassed for being muslim.  I have sources that have stated that the Army investigated Hasan's claims that he was being targeted for his religion and found that either his reports were inaccurate or that he was faking the harassment. 

I have seen soldiers harass muslims (one of the best NCOs I had as a young cav scout platoon leader was Sergeant Hassan).  I have also seen soldiers harass each other for being Italian and Irish and Jewish, etc.  [as a soldier, I also put a stop to that nonsense]

The point of that is that it is not an excuse for murder.

More will be revealed.  From where I stand, much of this looks like religion-inspired terror.  We need to know who his spiritual advisers are (one account is that his chaplain was the same guy who counseled Hasan Akbar, the Army sergeant who killed his fellow soldiers).

Last, many soldiers I have spoken with are deeply concerned about the President's response.  The President spoke for minutes about the Tribal Conference before addressing the tragedy on Fort Hood.  What was THAT about?

Update:  Here's the President's speech about Fort Hood.  Some, in the Comments, have noticed the "Late Night" host like attitude.  Weird.  His PR manager needs to get fired. BTW, most media outlets are cutting out the weird intro.

Update 2: Reader Steve sends this clip to NPR's All Things Considered where they discuss some aberrant behavior in Hasan.

NPR "All Things Considered" reports that Hasan talked at a professional meeting about beheading infidels. A fellow doctor reports:

"He gave a Grand Rounds presentation. . . You take turns giving a lecture on, you know, the correct treatment of schizophrenia, the right drugs to prescribe for personality disorder, you know, that sort of thing. But instead of giving an academic paper, he gave a lecture on the Koran, and they said it didn’t seem to be just an informational lecture, but it seemed to be his own beliefs. That’s what a lot of people thought."

"He talked about how if you’re a nonbeliever the Koran says you should have your head cut off, you should have oil poured down your throat, you should be set on fire. And I said well couldn’t this just be his educating you? And the psychiatrist said yes, but one of the Muslims in the audience, another psychiatrist, raised his hand and was quite disturbed and he said you know, a lot of us don’t believe these things you’re saying, and that there was no place where Hasan couched it as this is what the Koran teaches but you know I don’t believe it. And people actually talked in the hallway afterwards about ‘is he one of these people that’s going to freak out and shoot people someday?’"

Update 3:  One word.  HERO

http://abcnews.go.com/WN/fort-hood-officer-kimberly-munley-hailed-massacre-hero/story?id=9014951

Cone said Munley, 34, was doing traffic control in the area when Major Nidal Malik Hasan began spraying unarmed soldiers with rounds from two pistols.

The civilian cop headed straight for the sound of gunfire...
<...>
ABC News' Bob Woodruff reported today that Hasan is paralyzed from his injuries.

Taken into surgery afterwards, Munley spent Thursday night calling her fellow co-workers from her hospital bed to make sure everyone was okay...

Update 4:  I changed the PTSD to "combat related".