102 posts tagged “us troops”
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God in Heaven protect our warriors from the Washington, DC arm chair generals as You alone are the Hope we can trust.
Members of Congress and civilian bureaucrats that can't balance a budget, spending America into eternal debt, participate in all sorts of immoral behavior, fully corrupt, can't drive themselves from point A to point B, speak at the level of 8 year olds, are only focused on a personal self serving agenda, totally devoid of courage, integrity, personal responsibility...in short are greedy cowards...with no credible experience in national security and less than zero military service, now want to second guess a seasoned military chain of command in devising strategy and tactics in the Afghanistan war.
The political apparatus in Washington, DC has abandoned our troops in harms way, indecision is allowing the enemy to refit their forces and costing American lives, has sent a message of American political weakness and surrender to the Islamic butchers, while giving scant attention that our warriors are giving their lives and blood while indecison reigns.
If Afghanistan is a "war of necessity" as the Commander In Chief says, how can any level of leadership allow our men and women to be without the resources to win??
Nothing is more despicable than sending men and women into war and then betraying them while in battle...it would be entirely appropriate for the military chain of command to withdraw all troops to safe areas, expect a victory position within 72 hours from the Commander in Chief with credible proof of resources to win, otherwise, the military chain of command resigns.
Not one more drop of American blood spilled while Washington D.C. leadership cowers in surrender.
Harry Riley, COL, USA, Ret
Tonight
Christmas With The Troops
About a week ago I was asked by a Solider in Afghanistan what I thought
about doing a blogtalk radio show for the troops. A show that the
guys who are way from home this Christmas could send in messages and
have them read, request
songs and hear greetings from home.
Instantly I was smiling.
One I was thrilled with the idea and two honored that those who are serving
would ask me to be involved. They had already contacted one host
and I was able to help bring 2 other shows on board with this project.
I
want to thank the man who's idea this was,
Cpt Kevin, for not only thinking of this but for involving me.
Please if you can join us... it should be a fun and touching evening.
Three Blog Talk Radio shows are banding together to air a six hour
Christmas show that is all for the troops:
are going to broadcast back to back to back on Monday December 22nd
starting at 6pm CST for our men and women in Iraq, Afghanistan
and any of our military who will not be home with family this holiday season.
The show will include music, guest and reading messages from and to the troops.
to their families to us that will be read over the air (internet).
(All emails will be deleted after the messages are saved.)
We will also have some celebrity
guests coming on to send a
message to the “guys”.
Not meaning to drop any names but so far we have:
Tim Colceri The psycho door gunner from Full Metal Jacket
and Founder
of Fueled by the Fallen
http://www.fueledbythefallen.com/
Video Above: Footage of Marines preforming a special reading of "The Night Before Christmas" to the families of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit. Provided by 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit Public Affairs. Posted on Youtube by dvidshub
Cross Posted From DVIDS
Headquarters 18th Airborne Corps Public Affairs
14 Dec 2008 Baghdad IQ
B-roll of troops reactions to President George W. Bush's speech to them in Iraq. Scenes include Gen. Odierno introducing the President, President Bush speaking at the podium, reaction shots and Bush shaking hands with troops s they applaud him. Also see "Spc. Whitfield, 1st Lt. Benson, Capt. Howell, 1st Lt. Butel" in the interview section.
Lftbhndagn
(formerly at Pat Dollards)
Has Started a New Blog titled:
Voice Of Reason In An Unreasonable World
It will be Focusing on Good News
about our Troops and Military Ops
Please check out her new blog
and leave a word of
encouragement for her
This is written by a Gold Star Mom: Knottie. Her blog is titled "Knottie's niche." It's a wonderful and informative read. Please go to her blog and show your support for her.
They're Home...
On
Nov. 11th we packed our car and loaded up the family to head to Ft.
Campbell. The men my son served with were on their way home from Iraq
and I was finally going to get to meet and hug these men who have
become so important in my life.
As we drove on Veteran's Day I thought about how lucky the people in this country are to have the men and women of our military. Between it being Veterans day and where we were heading I had no choice but to see things from a perspective most Americans fail to look at. We drove without fear of IEDs. There were no check points. We could stop along the way and not fear snipers or suicide bombers. When we were hungry we had a multitude of options. And I knew without a doubt that these freedoms and this security are due fully to the fact we have such an outstanding group of people who made the choice to wear the uniform and defend these things.
I realized also.. we have WON in Iraq. Yes we are still there. Yes there is still some fighting. But it is safer in Iraq for American troops than civilians in Chicago these days. The foundation of what we set out to do is set. Our goals met and the lives of the Iraq people will be better. They are now tasting freedom. And anyone that wants to argue and diminish that victory and take that from these men and my son can try. But facts are facts. No one but these men and their leaders can claim that victory.
As I watched the plane filled with America's finest land my heart leap and broke all in the same moment. I knew that from my son's Company he would be the only one not walking off that plane. But in a way few will ever comprehend, the last part of my son did get off that plane. His spirit is in each of them and with them he came home too.
The one thing that stands out the most from this trip is as I stood standing and talking to one of the men of my son's platoon I felt a tap on my shoulder. As I turned, I saw them all. They had gathered together to find me. There was a line of men who had smiles and hugs for me. I was introduced to family members as their "Army Mom". They still have no idea what a gift they are to me. There will be more meetings an more stories to share. There will be laughter and tears. But once again I saw the strength and selflessness of these men. My heroes.. my soldier family.
A special thanks to all the U.S. soldiers. the song is Warrior by Kidrock
Cross posted from The Lethally Blond Diary (H/T to Holly)
Ohio Dentists Buyback Candy To Treat The Troops
On
the day after Halloween, hundreds of young trick or treaters showed up
at the dental offices of Dr. Larry Hagen and Dr. Eric Henize in the
Cincinnati area of Ohio. However the kids didn't come to receive
treatment for the cavities that could result from their prior night's
loot. They came to hand over their bounty.
On Saturday, the doctors offered to dole out a dollar a pound to each kid willing to hand over their stash of candy. Many of the trick or treaters actually refused payment and handed over their loot free of charge. At the end of the day, the dentists paid out a combined $346 and collected 964 pounds of candy.
So what made these kids eagerly give up the goods and what did the dentists do with all that candy? Did they throw it all away or hoard it for themselves? Not a chance! Nearly a half a ton of candy was placed into boxes for shipping to American troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
This is the second year in a row that the dentists have offered their candy buyback program to treat American troops. Last year, Hagen spent $4,000 of his own money to send 5,940 pounds of candy overseas. This year, the dentists also collected $665 in donations from the community to aid in shipping costs.
References and additional reading for this story:
Cincinnati.Com-Dentists' candy buyback nets half-ton
AHN-Ohio Dentists Run Halloween Candy Buyback For U.S. Troops In Iraq, Afghanistan
Total Is About Double The U.S. Troop Death Toll In Iraq
CHICAGO (CBS) ― An estimated 125 people were shot and killed over the summer. That's nearly double the number of U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq over the same time period.
In May, cbs2chicago.com began tracking city shootings and posting them on Google maps. Information compiled from our reporters, wire service reports and the Chicago Police Major Incidents log indicated that 125 people were shot and killed throughout the city between the start of Memorial Day weekend on May 26, and the end of Labor Day on Sept. 1.
According to the Defense Department, 65 U.S. soldiers were killed in combat in Iraq. About the same number were killed in Afghanistan over that same period.
In the same time period, an estimated 247 people were shot and wounded in the city.
Tracking Summer Shootings In Chicago
Police department spokeswoman Monique Bond disputed the numbers, saying in an e-mail that sometimes shootings are re-classified as accidental. She said the CBS 2 analysis did not match official department statistics, but she did not provide details. CBS 2 has asked for that information.
"The department officially releases crime statistics on a monthly basis to ensure the proper investigations are thoroughly conducted to determine manner and motive which also may result in reclassifications, '' Bond said. Read rest of the article here.
National
Police commander Ali Mahdi leads a platoon of his men partnered with
American soldiers from the Army’s 10th Mountain Division. The two
groups of men live at a spartan police headquarters in the Beladiat
section of Baghdad, an area that borders Sadr City to the east. Before
the Americans came to Iraq, Mahdi was a special forces soldier in
Saddam Hussein’s army. After the regime fell, Mahdi joined Iraq’s
National Police in 2005 and has worked with American forces ever since.
I spoke last week with Mahdi through the aid of an interpreter.
Are there still militia members in the National Police?
A little bit, yes. Not just in the National Police, but in the Iraqi Army too. Iraq is many things: Sunni, Shiite, Kurdish, and Christian. Everyone sticks together and looks out for themselves. The National Police and Iraqi Army are involved in all of the big operations in Iraq, so everyone knows the Iraqi intelligence agencies are watching them. If I'm working for the National Police, and I'm a terrorist, I know these agencies are watching me. So, I quit and go home.
I'm going to give you an example to help you understand: you are militia, I am militia, and he is militia. [Mahdi points to our translator] Two of us are arrested for being in the militia and you stay free—and, nobody knows about you. Iran is supporting you with guns, money, everything. Iran supports the militia too. When you know we've been arrested do you stay in the same place, or do you leave?
You'd leave because we'd tell the police about you and all of these things. Maybe I am [militia] in Sadr City. There the neighbors know I am in the militia. They'd make a call from the tip card the Americans give out and turn me in. So, instead I would move from Sadr City to another neighborhood where no one would know me.
There is militia, there's still a lot of terrorists, bombs, and everything. They're hiding now because they know that the Americans, the National Police, and the Iraqi Army are all looking for them.
Maybe in the future the Americans, together with the National Police, will arrest all of those sons of ***.
How well do you find yourself working with the American soldiers you’re partnered with?
I have 22 National Police [under my command]. We have a bond with the Americans that is sealed with blood. The American soldiers do the right thing. The American soldiers freed us from Saddam. The American soldiers want to free us from the militias that come from Iran. We'll all take this same right road together, and never go back.
The American soldiers come from very far away to give us security, and make [the Iraqis] happy people. So I'm going to give them my soul for that. The Americans leave their children and their wives to make my country secure. I will give my soul to you [as an American]. If someone tried to kill you, I'd be the first one to stand up and protect you.
If National Police and American soldiers are walking together and one of them is injured or killed, it will be a national policeman. Why? Because this is my country.
I want you to give a message for all of the families, and all of the Americans: the National Police are with the Americans together on one road for the freedom of Iraq.
If the National Police are doing something the wrong way, the Americans soldiers tell them how to do it the correct way. The Americans show them how to be on the correct path.
Will there be a time when you won't need the Americans here anymore?
We don't want the American soldiers to leave right now. Not until Iraq has all new buildings, new technology, new cars—until it's rebuilt. Then we'd tell the Americans to go home, and civilians like you can walk in the streets [of Iraq].
In the future we want it so that the American soldiers don't need body armor, or helmets, or humvees. They can throw the gun away and we can walk together in the street—have fun and have beer.
I don't want them to leave Iraq like it is now, it would break my heart.
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