Archive for May, 2008
May 15, 2008 By Troy
Posted in Military News
They were barely there, having just got on the ground after a lot of hype and media coverage. It is a true shame that so soon after getting on the ground in a war zone that most of America has forgotten about or chose to ignore, we lose two more brave Americans.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2008-04-22-afghanistan_N.htm?csp=34
The ironic thing is that these were not the infantrymen on the tip of the spear, like I was when I was there or that the Marines are who are kicking in doors and killing the Taliban. These are the support folks, the ones that make it possible for the grunts to take the fight to the enemy.
I keep saying and I will keep saying that Afghanistan is a dangerous place and there is a WAR GOING ON THERE. I will keep shouting that from the rooftops and doing whatever I can to get that message out. The other day there was a report saying so far the spring offensive has not been as bad as was feared because the number of direct fire attacks are down. Two things about that statement which are misleading. One is that they are not measuring attacks against Afghan forces and Two is that the enemy is learning from Iraq. Even though it took them a while, they are seeing that huge IEDs like this are much more effective at killing coalition forces and keeping themselves out of harms way, then direct attacks. In fact just this morning between 15-20 civilians were killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up while disguised as a women wearing a burqua in the city of Farah out in western Afghanistan.
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May 14, 2008 By CJ
Posted in Top Posts, Life in the Military
This was published in our local base newspaper and I think it paints a great picture of what our spouses put up with when we’re deployed. It’s from a wife named Nikki and was written to her mother. Her mom says she talks with her several times a week to see “how she is doing,” and of course always gets the same answer: “Oh, I’m doing OK, and so are the kids.” Then, the other day, Nikki sent her mom this letter and told her “’Just a little something I would share with you all…’– Love, Nikki.”
“I’m the one you walk past in Wal-Mart smelling a man’s brand of deodorant and buying the same brand of shower gel. I’m trying to remember his smell. I’m the one that sprays his cologne on his pillow so it seems like he is by me when I go to sleep.
“I’m the one you see in the back of the church, a tear running down my face as the congregation prays for our country and our troops. He’s one of them. “I’m the one you beep at for sitting at a green light. I was looking at the flag blowing in the breeze at the corner gas station and thinking of all it means to me, to him, and to our life together.
“I’m the one with a trunk full of flat rate boxes and customs forms, I know my local postal workers by name. The package I send him makes him seem close to me.
“I’m the one that has silly superstitions like wearing the same necklace throughout the deployment because he gave it to me and I will not take it off or change it. I’ll wear it every day until he comes back home.
“I’m the one you walk past as I completely fall apart and lose it because I left my cell phone at home. You might think ‘it’s just a phone,’ but it’s the life line of my marriage and it was his day to call.
“I’m the one you have labeled as quiet or reserved, the one who is never really part of anything, you don’t know I wear the faraway look because my heart boarded the plane with his.
“I’m the one that hears ‘tell him I say thanks, that I’m praying for him’ at least once a day, and I always tell him for you, but I can’t help but think, who prays for me as I continue to do my best to serve him.
“I’m the one that nods right along as you say that you understand or that it’s better now with the Internet. I know that it is, but what you don’t know is that nothing will ever replace the joy of receiving a letter or that the webcams and instant messenger just remind me of all the million little things about him that I love and miss.
“I’m the one that is so used to saying I’m fine, to being numb, to missing him, that I can’t remember any other way to be. I wonder at times if the ‘fine’ he tells me is the same ‘fine’ that I seem to be these days.
“I’m the one that hates Friday and Saturday nights because if he was home we would have the option to go do something… whether it was a movie or dinner or even just stay home and have family night and watch a good movie with the kids.
“I’m the one that eats out more often because it’s just not the same to cook for me and the kids…. He enjoyed home cooked meals…. And I enjoyed how much we enjoyed dinner and sitting at the table all together.
“I’m the one that is as strong and patriotic as the hero I married, not because I stand on the frontlines but because I stay behind stoking the homefires for months on end with a quiet resolve not unlike the one that personifies him.
“I’m the one that tells an ACU teddy bear or the moon good night, that I love you, because it makes me feel less lonely and because I hope he somehow hears or feels it.
“I’m the one that turns the porch light on at sunset to light his way back home, to me, to our life together, to the love and the good times we once shared.
“I’m the one that will see a white bus full of Soldiers or empty and start to cry… because it’s that same bus that took him away from me and I wish he was on there to come home to me.
“I’m the wife of an American Soldier; I’m the hope that lives within him after storm clouded days. The freedom from war that gives wings to his heart, may they reach across the miles and bind our hearts together against all that we must face in this world.”
Susan K. Edmunds
Proud mother/mother-in-law
and retired staff sergeant
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May 9, 2008 By CJ
Posted in Top Posts - My Post, Top Posts - Shared, Top Posts, Life in the Military
The Berzerkeleys are at it again. In a recent editorial in the Berkeley Daily Planet former Berzerkeley Councilmember Mark McDonald slanders military recruiters and leaders. He presents three fallacies that I’d like to correct him on.
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May 8, 2008 By CJ
Posted in Military News, News, Top Posts
Iraq Veterans Against the War are trying again. Only this time, they better really bring it. Winter Soldier is going for Round 3 in trying to influence the public about the supposed “travesties” taking place in Iraq. Only this time, we’ll be paying even more attention to what they say UNDER OATH about the “failure of troop surge”, according to their press release.
WHAT: Winter Soldier on the Hill
WHO: Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) & The Congressional Progressive Caucus
WHEN: May 15, 2008, 9:30am-12:30pm
WHERE: 2261 Rayburn House Office Building
WHY: To present eyewitness accounts of the Iraq occupation to Congress.
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By CJ
Posted in Uncategorized
“I don’t want to sound like an ad, a public service ad on TV, but the fact is if you can read, you can walk into a job later on. If you don’t, then you’ve got, the army, Iraq, I don’t know, something like that. It’s not as bright. So, that’s my little commercial for that.” No, that’s not the latest John Kerry reelection ad. Those are the words of Stephen King speaking before Washington, D.C. area high school students at a writing symposium at the Library of Congress on April 4th.
Talk amongst yourselves. Personally, I think he’s a moron. His words are about as fictitious as his writings!
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May 7, 2008 By You Served Editorial Staff
Posted in MilBlogger Interviews
This week, You Served and VA Mortgage Center.com got a chance to talk with Greta from Hooah Wife. A many thanks to her for taking the time to answer a few questions - be sure to check out her fantastic blog!
You Served: What led you to be a Military Blogger?
Hooah Wife: I became a Military blogger the day I was reviewing my husband’s last will and testament before he headed to Iraq. I had to get my feelings out to the world. I haven’t been able to stop blogging since then and now have multiple blogs!
YS: Do you feel that being a female Military Bloggers adds a unique perspective to your blog? If yes, how so?
HW: My blogging comes from the unique perspective of having been a military spouse and now the wife of a retired soldier. I think every blogger offers a unique perspective - that is what is sooooo cool about blogging.
YS: What impact has your blog had on you and those who are part of your blogging community?
HW:I think Hooah Wife has made an impact on the Milblog community since it has been a consistent blog for over 3 years. It has now become a group blog with the other contributors keeping the main theme of supporting the troops and being pro-military. We are also proudly the home of the Wednesday Hero, where we highlight a hero a week.
YS: What is the best part about being a MilBlogger?
HW: The camaraderie! Over the years I have also had the privilege of meeting many of the men and woman behind the blogs in person at the Milblog and Soldiers’ Angels conferences and through my travels. It is truly a small world on the internet. Being a Milblogger is something I don’t take lightly. I realize there are lots of men and women in uniform and their family members looking for information and answers.
I have always tried to make myself readily available to anyone who needs advice.
YS: What, if any, lessons have you learned from being a MilBlogger?
HW: The lessons I have learned…well…blogging is time consuming. I don’t think a day goes by that I don’t read or write. Hooah Wife has continued to have a nice community that is “troll free” and revels in discussion. It doesn’t take much to be noticed by those who you provoke on the internet and we continue to fly under the radar. We welcome diverse opinions and discussions, but treat everyone with respect. I have watched many blogs become infested with nasty commenters and am grateful that we have stayed small enough to maintain some sense of community.
YS: What advice would you give to a woman who wants to start her own MilBlog?
HW: Do it and only keep it up only if you enjoy it. Be responsible and remember OPSEC home and away is extremely important. Blog as if your friend, the enemy, your Grandmother, your boss and God is reading your blog. If you follow those rules - you should never have a problem!
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May 5, 2008 By CJ
Posted in Top Posts
You know, I get tired of hearing about how much this war is costing us. I believe the going figure right now is about $600 billion since 2003. While not a small number by any calculation, let’s look at some other numbers for context.
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By CJ
Posted in Military News, Top Posts - My Post, Top Posts - Shared, Top Posts, Life in the Military
“In the last 7 years, have you consulted with a mental health professional (psychiatrist, psychologist, counselor, etc.) or have you consulted with another health care provider about a mental health related condition? If you answered “Yes,” provide the dates of treatment and the name and address of the therapist or doctor below…”
This is one of the questions on Standard Form 86, the security clearance questionnaire for national security positions. It is used as a basis for granting access to classified government information and determining one’s allegiance and suitability for such sensitive positions.
But, until recently, Question 21 above posed a morale dilemma for many Soldiers about whether or not to seek the help they sorely needed.
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May 2, 2008 By CJ
Posted in Charities/Contests
Update 5/5/08: We’re up to $220!! Only $3280 to go. Please help spread the word.
When I moved here, I realized that I was going to miss going to Walter Reed. The opportunities to do something special for troops beyond the few I’m directly responsible for. So, I thought that I would do something special for those that may one day become troops and volunteer with JROTC program at the local high school.
This is the first year that the program has existed and they need help. Through other donations and fundraising they’ve been able to take the kids to various competitions. In their first year they have won two first place trophies in physical fitness, but they really need help with drill and ceremony (marching and movement). Since this is the first year, there aren’t any experienced cadets that can train them. Unfortunately, most of the Soldiers (like me) who consider themselves subject matter experts on D&C aren’t able to be at the school during classes to teach them.
The JROTC instructor, retired Chief Warrant Officer Hobbs, would like to send two returning Juniors to a Drill and Ceremony Camp this summer. The problem? The camp will cost $3500 to send them both (not each). I’m thinking that we have enough support here through direct donations as well as enough people with blogs elsewhere that we can put a substantial dent in that need.
Here’s the deal: Miss Ladybug has graciously donated four cross-stitches to four of our military services - Army, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Navy (click links to see these fine specimen). Anyone that contributes any amount of money to this effort to send two students to Drill Camp will be entered to win one of the following prizes:
1. One of four custom cross-stitches
2. A copy of Luke Stricklin’s debut CD “American By God’s Amazing Grace”
3. “Charlie Wilson’s War” on DVD (starring Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts)
4. One of Emily’s faulty kidneys
5. A signed copy of my cheesy, official Army First Sergeant Photo that all my offices are required to hang in their hallways (limited edition 1 of 1!)
6. A thank you (chances of winning are 1:1)
You can make a donation with a credit card through the Paypal link on the A Soldier’s Perspective sidebar or contact me if you’d prefer to send a check. At the end of each day, I will tally up how much has been collected so we can see how close we are to our goal. Please share this with as many people as possible.
While I work to get the code back up, you can email Paypal donations to dj_chcknhawk@yahoo.com by using the Paypal site. Thanks for your help and good luck.
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By You Served Editorial Staff
Posted in MilBlogger Interviews
Profiling a MilBlogger returns this week as our staff sat down with a fantastic female milblogger - Carla from Some Soldier’s Mom. Let’s see what see had to say shall we:
You Served: What led you to be a Military Blogger?
Some Soldier’s Mom: When my son was getting ready to deploy to Iraq in late 2004, I was surfing the web to find information on what he might experience and what parents’ go through and any useful information that I could use.
I found a number of military blogs (milblogs) by soldiers but nothing from a parent, so I started Some Soldier’s Mom (www.somesoldiersmom.blogspot.com) as a way to share what I thought was a unique and important experience — to let people know what it was like to have a child at war.
YS: Do you feel that being a female Military Bloggers adds a unique perspective to your blog? If yes, how so?
SSM: Definitely yes. While I can be strident in my views about the war on terror and the necessity of our Country’s mission in Iraq, I am a mother first. It is a unique role — we experience emotions and have a perspective different from the soldiers (who can’t understand why we worry or cry so much) and wives (who willingly took on the role of military wife and has a daily relationship with their soldier).
I have written that a parent sending their son or daughter to war is one of the most counter-intuitive experiences a person can ever have: you spend 18 (or 19, 20… ) years protecting them and making sure that they are never too hot or too cold, that they are protected from biting bugs and making sure they are not anywhere that people might be shooting at them. Then you are called upon to be brave and [somewhat] cheerful as you send your child off to a place where it is always too hot or too cold, there are bugs the size of small dogs and people are shooting at them and trying to blow them up.
I also feel that female milbloggers bring a view not driven by the battlefield experience but by the support role expected of families back home. I have never been to war, but I have sent a child to war.
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