Monthly Archives: February 2010

Soldier Sentenced to 20 Years for Killing AQ Leader

This churns my gut. Our military is under assault from outside and within the military. We can’t take them alive because then they get rights and trials that violate Geneva Conventions and we can’t kill them because we’ll be tried, convicted, and sentenced for murder! These guys are the same people that are killing our troops in Iraq and are the same people that killed 3,000 Americans on 9/11. Absolutely insane and you MUST listen to this interview between Michael Savage and Army Ranger 1st Lt. Michael Behenna’s mother.

PART I

PART II

Check out the story associated with this interview HERE.

Current worldwide security levels

The English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent terrorist threats and have raised their security level from “Miffed” to “Peeved.” Soon, though, security levels may be raised yet again to “Irritated” or even “A Bit Cross.” The English have not been “A Bit Cross” since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies all but ran out. Terrorists have been re-categorized from “Tiresome” to a “Bloody Nuisance.” The last time the British issued a “Bloody Nuisance” warning level was during the great fire of 1666.

The Scots raised their threat level from “Pissed Off” to “Let’s get the Bastards.” They don’t have any other levels. This is the reason they have been used on the front line in the British army for the last 300 years.

The French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from “Run” to “Hide”.
The only two higher levels in France are “Collaborate” and “Surrender.” The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France’s white flag factory, effectively paralyzing the country’s military capability.

It’s not only the French who are on a heightened level of alert. Italy has increased the alert level from “Shout loudly and excitedly” to “Elaborate Military Posturing.” Two more levels remain: “Ineffective Combat Operations” and “Change Sides.”

The Germans also increased their alert state from “Disdainful Arrogance” to “Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs.” They also have two higher levels: “Invade a Neighbour” and “Lose”.

Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual, and the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels.

The Spanish are all excited to see their new submarines ready to deploy. These beautifully designed subs have glass bottoms so the new Spanish navy can get a really good look at the old Spanish navy.

Americans meanwhile are carrying out pre-emptive strikes on all of their allies, just in case.

New Zealand has also raised its security levels – from “baaa” to “BAAAA!”.
Due to continuing defense cutbacks (the Air Force being a squadron of spotty teenagers flying paper aeroplanes and the Navy some toy boats in the Prime Minister’s bath), New Zealand only has one more level of escalation, which is “Shit, I hope Australia will come and rescue us”.

Australia, meanwhile, has raised its security level from “No worries” to “She’ll be all right, mate.” Three more escalation levels remain, “Crikey!’, “I think we might have to cancel the barbie this weekend” and “The barbie is cancelled”…………… So far no situation has ever warranted use of the final escalation level.

Feb 4 Live Blog

4:04:30 PM: New blog entry: Feb 4 Live Blog http://www.vamortgagecenter.com/blog/?p=4086

8:04:39 PM: Doing out intro’s tonight

8:09:02 PM: Playing pledge and disclaimer

8:09:21 PM: Don’t forget to become a fan of our facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/youserved

4:04:30 PM: New blog entry: Feb 4 Live Blog http://www.vamortgagecenter.com/blog/?p=4086

8:04:39 PM: Doing out intro’s tonight

8:09:02 PM: Playing pledge and disclaimer

8:09:21 PM: Don’t forget to become a fan of our facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/youserved

3:15:38 PM: New blog entry: Current worldwide security levels http://www.vamortgagecenter.com/blog/?p=4119

3:15:38 PM: New blog entry: Current worldwide security levels http://www.vamortgagecenter.com/blog/?p=4119

7:15:38 PM: New blog entry: Current worldwide security levels http://www.vamortgagecenter.com/blog/?p=4119

4:54:14 AM: New blog entry: Soldier Sentenced to 20 Years for Killing AQ Leader http://www.vamortgagecenter.com/blog/?p=4123

12:54:14 AM: New blog entry: Soldier Sentenced to 20 Years for Killing AQ Leader http://www.vamortgagecenter.com/blog/?p=4123

4:54:14 AM: New blog entry: Soldier Sentenced to 20 Years for Killing AQ Leader http://www.vamortgagecenter.com/blog/?p=4123

2:22:56 PM: New blog entry: Soldier of the Week – SSG Matthew Groppi http://www.vamortgagecenter.com/blog/?p=4128

10:22:56 AM: New blog entry: Soldier of the Week – SSG Matthew Groppi http://www.vamortgagecenter.com/blog/?p=4128

4:34:36 PM: New blog entry: Officers and NCOs http://www.vamortgagecenter.com/blog/?p=4132

9:54:56 PM: New blog entry: HBO Series to Honor WWII Pacific Theater http://www.vamortgagecenter.com/blog/?p=4135

11:41:05 AM: New blog entry: Test post from Blogo for preview http://www.vamortgagecenter.com/blog/2010/02/09/test-post-from-blogo-for-preview/

3:41:05 PM: New blog entry: Test post from Blogo for preview http://www.vamortgagecenter.com/blog/2010/02/09/test-post-from-blogo-for-preview/

3:44:37 PM: New blog entry: Jim Beam is giving back to the troops http://bit.ly/cNCnby

11:41:05 AM: New blog entry: Test post from Blogo for preview http://www.vamortgagecenter.com/blog/2010/02/09/test-post-from-blogo-for-preview/

3:44:37 PM: New blog entry: Jim Beam is giving back to the troops http://bit.ly/cNCnby

6:17:38 AM: New blog entry: It appears our allies are ponying up http://www.vamortgagecenter.com/blog/2010/02/10/it-appears-our-allies-are-ponying-up/

6:17:38 AM: New blog entry: It appears our allies are ponying up http://www.vamortgagecenter.com/blog/2010/02/10/it-appears-our-allies-are-ponying-up/

10:17:38 AM: New blog entry: It appears our allies are ponying up http://www.vamortgagecenter.com/blog/2010/02/10/it-appears-our-allies-are-ponying-up/

10:30:45 AM: New blog entry: Morning After Pill http://www.vamortgagecenter.com/blog/2010/02/10/morning-after-pill/

6:17:38 AM: New blog entry: It appears our allies are ponying up http://www.vamortgagecenter.com/blog/2010/02/10/it-appears-our-allies-are-ponying-up/

10:30:45 AM: New blog entry: Morning After Pill http://www.vamortgagecenter.com/blog/2010/02/10/morning-after-pill/

12:05:54 PM: New blog entry: There must be 50 ways to leave your soldier… http://www.vamortgagecenter.com/blog/?p=4170

12:05:54 PM: New blog entry: There must be 50 ways to leave your soldier… http://www.vamortgagecenter.com/blog/?p=4170

I Don’t Carry A Gun

I got this in an email and found it quite profound. There is a movement in this country to criminalize and stigamatize those who collect, own, and/or carry guns. People ask me all the time, “why do you want so many guns?” My answer is simple: “Because I can.”

But, it’s more than that. One day there may come a time where I “can’t” legally own a gun and when that time comes I’ll own them to protect my absolute right to self defense. I’m not a violent man. I just want to protect myself against those that are!

I don’t carry a gun . . .

… to kill people. I carry a gun to keep from being killed.

I don’t carry a gun to scare people. I carry a gun because sometimes this world can be a scary place.

I don’t carry a gun because I’m paranoid. I carry a gun because there are real threats in the world.

I don’t carry a gun because I’m evil. I carry a gun because I have lived long enough to see the evil in the world.

I don’t carry a gun because I hate the government. I carry a gun because I understand the limitations of government.

I don’t carry a gun because I’m angry. I carry a gun so that I don’t have to spend the rest of my life hating myself for failing to be prepared.

I don’t carry a gun because my sex organs are too small. I carry a gun because I want to continue to use those sex organs for the purpose for which they were intended for a good long time to come.

I don’t carry a gun because I want to shoot someone. I carry a gun because I want to die at a ripe old age in my bed, and not on a sidewalk somewhere tomorrow afternoon.

I don’t carry a gun because I’m a cowboy. I carry a gun because, when I die and go to heaven, I want to be a cowboy.

I don’t carry a gun to make me feel like a man. I carry a gun because men know how to take care of themselves and the ones they love.

I don’t carry a gun because I feel inadequate. I carry a gun because unarmed and facing three armed thugs, I am inadequate.

I don’t carry a gun because I love it. I carry a gun because I love life and the people who make it meaningful to me.

Oliver North, US Troops Veterans Day Video

This video tribute on the front lines is the story of true patriots, told by Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North at the NRA Annual Meetings in 2009. It’s a stirring profile of the spirited, courageous guardians of our precious freedoms. America’s best …

Pink House Closing

The idiots at Code Pink that love boycotting and protesting our wounded warriors at Walter Reed, interrupt official Congressional business, and generally do stupid things are being forced to shut down their “Pink House” in DC. The leaders of the commie, insurgent funding Code Pink organization sent out the following email to their followers:

Dear CODEPINKers,

We are writing to share with you, who have applied to stay at the Pink House over the past several years, the news that the Pink House will be closing at the end of February. The CODEPINK House has been a home to PINKs from all corners of the world, and a hub for brainstorming, networking, prop-making and song-writing. After late night strategy meetings, we have woken up early to head off to Congress to attend a hearing, sit-in at an office, hang a banner in the atrium, sing anti-war songs in the cafeteria or crash press conferences. The costs of maintaining the house and paying the rent have become an overwhelming burden for CODEPINK and we must now move on from the house into the next course of action.

Please take a moment to read about the Pink House and share your own story on our blog here:

http://codepink4peace.org/blog/2010/02/packing-up-the-pink-house/

We’d like to say thank you, from the bottom of our pink hearts, to each and every one of you who contributed to the magic that was the Pink House. Thanks to those who donated, processed applications, greeted new arrivals in DC, stormed the Hill, and reached out to their networks to grow the CODEPINK family. The house was a bright idea, initiated by Xan Joi and other San Francisco activists, that would have failed had it not been for a surge of people who answered the call and supported the vision of ending war, creating peace, and restoring democracy.

CODEPINK in DC will of course continue to be active in the hearings in Congress and will continue to call for and help coordinate national actions in DC, only now we’ll be reaching out to our neighbors to house those of us visiting from out-of-town and coordinating shared stays at hotels. There are many reasons to come to DC in March, including a national training and lobby day for justice in Palestine around International Women’s Day (March 7-8), the ANSWER mass march on the 7th anniversary of the Iraq occupation (March 20), the AIPAC convention protests (March 21-23), and the Peace of the Action coalition activities (mid-March). We hope to see you in the beltway soon! If you’re coming to DC, you can check out our housing board (http://www.codepinkalert.org/housing.php) to find DC activists willing to host – Thanks to Lydia for managing Pink House applications and now taking on updating and coordinating this housing board! You can sign up to join CODEPINK in DC in March at http://www.codepinkalert.org/march

See a slideshow of DC CODEPINK actions and Pink House pics here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/codepinkalert/sets/72157613326838530/show/

For ole times sake, watch an excellent 5-minute video about the Pink House produced by the Washington Post:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/video/2007/03/28/VI2007032801891.html

Can we all let out a collective “awwww, shucks”? When I was stationed in the DC area, I frequently went to Walter Reed to counter-protest the troop-hating hags of Code Pink. I’ve also crashed their sadistic meetings that cast our troops as murderers and baby killers. One night, some Code Pinkers even threw eggs at the cars of Freepers who were proudly waving American flags and shouting words of support to troops entering and exiting Walter Reed.

I’m not surprised that the organization is having trouble paying for the house. They’ve gotten more and more moronic in their actions which I’m sure has turned off many potential and former donors. I say good riddance!! It wasn’t that long ago that they were forced to close shop in California too. They have issues when they keep up their offices in liberal California and DC!! But, I’m not complaining.

Impact of deployment on kids — negative reporting and troop bashing hurts them too

I highlighted the area in bold text below that needs a LOT of attention brought  to the matter. Negative reporting on the war, and the lack of support of the war and our troops affects the morale of everyone — including our military children. I am so sick and tired of the BS line “we support our troops but not the war.”  It’s not true. It’s contradictory and this report here shows how that very attitude is not only unsupportive, but it is outright harmful to the children of our deployed troops.

I am going to print out a copy of the actual report and will write up some more. I am heading out to Fort Leonard Wood at the end of the week, so I am sure as a passenger in our 12-hour car ride, I will have plenty of time to read and respond.

SOURCE LINK

With the recent announcement of President Obama’s fund increase to Military Family Programs, the importance of assisting our military Soldiers and families is ever prevalent. Today’s guest blog entry comes from a study completed at the Army War College by Dr. Leonard Wong and Dr. Steven Gerras discussing the the impact of multiple deployments on families, especially the children.

The new reality of repetitive deployments has led to innovative programs and policies designed to assist military children in dealing with the difficulties of deployments.  Initiatives—ranging from “flat daddies” replacing deployed soldiers at the dinner table, to senior leaders ceremoniously signing the Army Family Covenant at installations across the world, to the First Lady proposing nearly $9 billion to support military families—point to the growing concern that multiple deployments may be as stressful to Army children as they are to soldiers.  Despite the increased attention and seemingly endless resources directed at children in deployed families, however, there has been very little research examining the effects of multiple deployments on children.

In March of 2009, Leonard Wong and Stephen Gerras from the U.S. Army War College began a two-phase study to examine the effects of multiple deployments on Army adolescents.  The first phase, collected through an online survey, evaluated the perspectives of over 2,000 soldiers, 700 spouses, and 500 Army children between 11 and 17.  The second phase collected the views of over 100 Army adolescents through individual interviews at 8 Army installations throughout the U.S.

As expected, they found that strong families—to include a non-deployed spouse who coped well with deployments—as well as ample activities such as sports to keep Army youngsters busy serve to reduce stress levels of Army adolescents during a deployment.  Surprisingly, they also found that the attitudes of Army children play a role in dealing with deployment stress and coping with a life of deployments.  Children who believed that soldiers are making a difference in the world and that the American public supported the war were significantly more likely to report that they were coping better with deployments.  The study highlights the often overlooked impact of attitudinal factors such as the influence of public opinion concerning the war and the importance—in a life marked by multiple deployments—of an adolescent’s confidence that their parent’s call to duty is worth the sacrifice.

For a free download of the full study, please visit the US Army War College Strategic Studies Institute website:http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pubs/display.cfm?pubID=962.

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Post-deployment Challenges: There and Back Again – Learning about depression

This is the first in a series of mini-podcasts that will address the many facets of post-deployment challenges. This first one deals with depression. It’s about 10-minutes in length and is focused on education and encouragement. Other parts to the series will include post-traumatic stress, anger management, sleep problems, and relationship issues.

Podcast Series Addresses Post-deployment Challenges

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11, 2010 – Servicemembers and their families can get help coping with post-deployment stress through a new series of podcasts profiling the personal stories of those who have lived it.

“Combat brings individuals face-to-face with the harshest demands imaginable. In fact, it’s impossible to be unaffected by these experiences. Stress reactions, family and relationship difficulties, and work conflicts can affect an individual’s emotional well being.”

These words set the stage for the premiere episode of “There and Back,” an audio podcast series developed by afterdeployment.org, a Defense Department Web site developed by the National Center for Telehealth and Technology and the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury. 

The podcast series is directed to the entire military community to help manage some of the challenges faced by servicemembers and their families following a deployment, defense officials said. 

“Learning About Depression,” the initial ten minute podcast in the “There and Back” series is a tapestry woven of education, encouragement and emotional intimacy. 

Dr. Jenifer Alford, a clinical psychologist and afterdeployment.org’s functional director, guides listeners through the world of depression. “Depression can happen to just about anyone given the right set of circumstances,” Alford says. “Taking no action, or believing that time will heal the depression, could result in the depression getting worse or lasting longer.” 

The podcast is punctuated by servicemembers and their families telling their personal stories, allowing listeners to know that they are not alone in their struggles. 

Listen to:  There and Back: Learning about Depression”

 

Military Families Gain Access to Free Online Tutoring

What a great resource! Tutoring can make such a difference to a student (of any age and grade!), but can often be expensive and not affordable. The other great thing about online tutoring is the portability factor. If you move you can take your tutor with you! That’s great for a child who has found a tutor he/she really likes and works well with.

SOURCE LINK

Military Families Gain Access to Free, Online Tutoring

By Elaine Wilson
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 26, 2010 – The Defense Department has launched a free, online tutoring service for servicemembers and their families.

 

The site – http://www.tutor.com/military — offers round-the-clock professional tutors who can assist with homework, studying, test preparation, resume writing and more. 

Marine Corps and Army families have had access to the program for more than a year. Seeing the value, Defense Department officials decided to expand the service to encompass all servicemembers and their families, officials said. 

“Providing 24/7 academic and career support for military families during a time when so many parents have a deployed spouse has been an important and well-received benefit for Marine Corps and Army families,” said Tommy T. Thomas, deputy undersecretary of defense for military community and family policy. 

“We are pleased to expand this program to all U.S. military families and provide peace of mind that their children are never alone when it comes to learning – there is always a certified, professional tutor available to help,” he said. 

Active-duty servicemembers, National Guard and reserve personnel on active duty in a deployed status, Defense Department civilians in a deployed status and their dependents are eligible to participate, officials said. Along with test preparation, the site is open to students of any age – from kindergartners to high school seniors – for one-on-one help in math, science, social studies and English. 

Many of these students, officials said, are making the most of the live, one-on-one help. “Thanks for having this service when our family is separated at this time due to deployments and training,” a 6th grader of a Marine commented. “My father is unable to help one-on-one.” 

“I really appreciate this,” another program participant, a 9th grader, said. “It really helps me understand my schoolwork. It’s going to really help me ace my exams coming up! I am definitely going to use this very often.” 

Tutor.com’s network includes more than 1,800 professional tutors and career specialists who have delivered more than 5 million one-on-one tutoring sessions since 2001, officials said. Each tutor is certified through the site, and all sessions are recorded for quality control.