If there is one thing that is universal about combat, it’s the iconic “Kilroy” image. The image depicts a big-nosed “person?” peering over a wall with three fingers of each hand showing. While no one knows exactly when/where it started, it gained prominence and exposure during WWII, popping up in ever theater of combat.
I found this one, though mispelled, on the inside of a porta-pottie at Manas AFB in Kyrgystan.
Posted in Life in the Military, Photo of the Day
Tagged kilroy was here, kyrgystan, manas
I once thought about going to Warrant Officer Candidate School. However, when I became a Sergeant First Class I decided I didn’t want to take that step “backwards.” While there is a law that doesn’t allow you to lose money in pay by switching from senior enlisted to Warrant Officer or officer, this doesn’t affect other entitlements like BAH when you move.
But, what really drove me away was not wanting to go through another “leadership school” in which I was treated like a child. It seems to me every military leadership school is an exercise is frustration and endurance, not leadership. Soldiers are treated like children where ever minute of their day is almost impossibly filled with stuff to do. WOCS is no different and from what I’ve heard worse. So, why would I want to go from a position of finally getting through all the leadership schools – with the Sergeant Major Academy being the exception – where I was finally being treated like an adult and step backwards into WOCS to be treated like a kid again? It’s not that I can’t take it, it’s that I’m fed with this type of harassment to create a leader.
Kudos to those that put themselves through it though. The retirement will be better for sure. I’ve heard that it creates a bond that only WO can enjoy. I seem to have no problem bonding without WOCS, though!
Warrant officer candidates walk the last leg of a 6.2 mile road march during Phase Three of the Warrant Officer Candidate School at Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center, Ind., July 28. The candidates finished the march in less than two hours.
Nothing better than pizza in a combat zone. NOTHING!!
Sgt. William Paulk of the 900th Maintenance Company, Alabama National Guard, eats his first slice of Pizza Hut pepperoni pizza at the grand opening of the facility at Forward Operating Base Deh Dadi II. The Pizza Hut completes the food court on the FOB, as the 530th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion continues to expand construction projects there. Photo by SFC Peter Mayes.
The Army authorizes the use of social media in both official and personal capacities, but threats are always present so education is key. The number of scam artists utilizing social media has increased, so the US Army is stressing caution in the use of such media as FaceBook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. These scam artists are determined to steal personal information, impersonate Soldiers and try to acquire sensitive information, even those of deceased Soldiers. In 2009, the Robin Sage Experiment effectively demonstrated how people respond to social media scams so the following are some tips to prevent having personal information acquired by the wrong people:
1) do not share information that you do not want to become public;
(2) verify a “friend” request by phone or other means before allowing access;
(3) look closely at all privacy settings; (4) be careful about what you post about your life — you cannot control where the information goes;
(5) be cautious when listing job, military organization, education and contact information;
(6) always ensure that information posted online has no significant value to the enemy;
(7) closely review photos to make sure they do not give away sensitive information;
(8) talk with family about operations security and what can and cannot be posted;
(9) create different, strong passwords for each online account.
For more information, see the Army Social Media Best Practices fact sheet at: http://www.slideshare.net/DepartmentofDefense/army-social-media-best-practices and the Army Social Media Handbook 2011 by clicking: http://www.slideshare.net/USArmySocialMedia/army-social-media-handbook-2011
Afghanistan has been living in the 1500s since, well, the 1500s! While they are up to snuff on some technologies, many Afghans that don’t live in the cities have never seen simple inventions like iPods, cameras, and STRAWS!
Cpl. Henry Garza, a turret gunner with Company C, 1st Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, and a native of Halletsville, Texas, helps an Afghan child learn to drink a juice box during a patrol near Camp Leatherneck, Helmand province.
“I grew up in the country,” said Garza. “In the summertime where I’m from, the kids just try to occupy themselves outdoors like these kids do.”
Posted in Photo of the Day
Tagged 23rd marine regiment, Afghanistan, Camp Leatherneck, helmand province
No! I’m not talking about running away. I’m talking about the military custom that signals the end of the official duty day and serves as a ceremony for paying respect to the flag. Every evening, a team of Soldiers gathers under the flag to honorably retire it for the evening. It’s a ceremony that most Soldiers pay no attention to because they usually only occur at Division and base headquarters – and sometimes for separate Brigades.
While these Soldiers are folding the flag, “retreat” is sounded across post. Soldiers stop what their doing and pay their respect to the nation’s flag as it’s being lowered. Vehicles pull off the road and the drivers get out and either salute if in uniform or place their hands over their heart. It’s just one of many ways that our nation’s patriots protect, defend, and honor the flag, like these Soldiers in this photo by A1C Christopher Toon.
According to Rear Adm. Michael H. Mittelman, the U.S. Pacific Command’s top surgeon, the U.S. military plans to calculate radiation doses received by each of the approximately 61,000 U.S. personnel living and working in Japan during this year’s nuclear disaster. He has been holding town hall meetings on bases in Japan telling residents about the individual radiation dose assessments, which will be compiled in a register and added to medical records. Their exposures are very low, but they are also part of this disaster so this is the responsible thing to do and if there is ever a question, 20 years from now, they can go back and look at what their potential dose was. To read the full article, please go to: http://www.military.com/news/article/military-to-calculate-radiation-exposure-in-japan.html?ESRC=eb.nl
Posted in Military News
We have a full show tonight starting out with a couple of great guys from Get it Done consulting (www.getitdoneconsulting.com), Bob “Benny” Goodman and Wally Ward. Bob has started a new program called Mentor-Train-Mentor, with a mission of providing integral training for service-disabled veterans to establish professional business certification and qualifications making them competitive for jobs. We will talk with them about why they started this program, what they hope to achieve out of it and how it is going so far.
Next up we have several great volunteers from Cooking with the Troops. We have had Blake Powers and others on before from CWtT and are glad to have them back on. They will be talking with us about their recent event where they held a cuban-food cookout at Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) in San Antonio, TX. .
Rounding out our show is our 3rd guest of the night, Ms. Pamela Wilson from Bodybuilding.com. Bodybuilding.com, the Internet’s most-visited bodybuilding and fitness site and largest online retailer of nutritional supplements, and athlete-trusted supplement company, MusclePharm, have officially kicked off the 2nd annual 2011 Military Challenge. The competition is open for entries to all active and reserve United States military members and their spouses from July 15 – August 15, 2011. She is an AFAA certified personal trainer, MADDOGG certified spin instructor, a sponsored athlete with the first ever Team Bodybuilding.com and a featured athlete with Dymatize supplement company. She is currently a Capt in the USAF, Reserves.
So as you can see this is a jam-packed show tonight. We have vets trying to help vets get into the business world, we have volunteers doing good things for our wounded warriors and we have a awesome website and company helping promote fitness and trying to reward those that do. Please join us tonight at www.youservedradio.com at 8PM EST and listen to another great show.
One of the most important reasons that Islam has become a breeding ground for Muslim Extremists is that the majority of people in Muslim states are illiterate. Edward James Olmos, of CHiPS and Battlestar Gallactica fame, said that “education is a vaccine for violence.” And he’s right.
If we’re to win the wars against Extremist Islam, we have to educate the people about what the Koran really says – and not just the violent parts. Prior to 2001, Afghanistan had a literacy rate barely above 11% of the total population. Today, after 10 years of helping to create schools in which women could also be educated, that number has more than doubled to just above 28%.
In this photo by PO3 Michael James, Afghan National Army Pvt. Mohammed Khalil, the 100,000th Basic Warrior Training graduate to go through literacy training, is awarded a plaque and pen by Brig. Gen. Amlaqullah Patyani, the Kabul Military Training Center Commander, at Kabul Military Training Center in Kabul, Afghanistan, in recognition of the Afghan National Security Force’s accomplishments in the realm of education and literacy. Basic Warrior Training Kandak 162 graduated 1,287 soldiers, all of whom will continue training at various Afghan National Army Branch Schools or the Consolidated Fielding Center in Kabul, either of which training routes will offer further literacy training to the soldiers.
After spending over 22 years in uniform I can tell you that the Army is pretty anal when it comes to securing weapons. It is not something taken lightly, with many processes and procedures in place that check and balance the storing and issuing of weapons.
So to say that I am perplexed as to how this could have happened, is an understatement. I have to assume it was an inside job, but they again I wonder how stupid a soldier could be to think the Army would not miss 27 weapons.
More than two dozen assault rifles have been stolen from a Southern California military base, and investigators sought the public’s help as they looked to arrest suspects and recover the weapons, federal officials said Friday.
Twenty-six AK-74 assault rifles and one Dragunov sniper rifle were stolen from a supply warehouse at Fort Irwin in San Bernardino County on July 15, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives says in a statement.
Some arrests have been made and one rifle has been recovered, but the agency is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to further arrests, the statement said.
Read the whole story at http://www.military.com/news/article/27-rifles-stolen-from-fort-irwin.html
Posted in Life in the Military, Military News
You Served's Claire talks about the life of a military spouse - the hardships, the joys, and everything in between.
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