In the last post, I talked about the initial part of the Rodeo. I had a GREAT time and the troops and their families loved it too!
While at the Rodeo, all the troops were treated to a free BBQ dinner. They set up a huge tent that held about 500 troops at a time. Dozens of volunteers served the troops with smiles and words of thanks and appreciation. All the troops there were simply glowing at the attention they received and respect being shown to them. Along with the free food was some of the best Apple Pie I’ve had in a LONG time and all the soda we could drink. Naturally, we were also the ONLY service that was forbidden from drinking alcohol on the trip.
(Click on the photos for better view)
After eating, Soldiers were permitted to pretty much do whatever they wanted in the park. But, at 1700, they had to be back at the food tent for movement to a stage near Reliant Stadium for a special presentation. We all massed – all 1500 of us – and moved as a group to the stage (see photo above). The Mayor of Houston read a proclamation that the day, 10 March, be designated military appreciation day and then introduced three Medal of Honor recipients in attendance. I didn’t get video of this, but did take video later at the rodeo of who these heroes were.
The Houston Rodeo recently honored our troops during the Salute to the Troops day on 10 Mar. As part of the ceremonies, three Medal of Honor recipients were treated like royalty and introduced to a packed Reliant Stadium.
After the MOH recipients were introduced, a special group of individuals was marched to the stage. They were young boys and girls, about 30 of them, and obviously didn’t know their left from their right yet as evidenced by the “left, face” order and half went the wrong way. But, these young men and women were there to be sworn in by Major General William Grimsley, acting commanding general of Fort Hood.
After the swearing in, I took the time to shake as many hands as I could and welcome them into the Army. I also thanked them for their service, sacrifice, and courage.
Once the ceremony was over, most of the Soldiers moved into Reliant Stadium for the start of the rodeo and Rascal Flatts concert. Others went into the Livestock show where numerous vendors were set up selling everything from boots to Gator 4-wheelers. There was also a hot tub vendor who was shocked that I began taking off my uniform for a nice dip. My embarrassed aunt and cousins quickly pulled me away. Before the official start of the event, the announcer introduced the Medal of Honor recipients – the video above – and the the colors were unveiled!
On Wednesday, March 10, Reliant Park in Houston, TX, hosted a “Salute to the Troops” day. Over 1,500 troops from Fort Hood were invited guests to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. I was lucky enough to be among them. I took many videos and photos of the day’s events, which began at 0730 at Hood Stadium on main Fort Hood. Responsible for over 100 Soldiers from my unit, we formed up and took accountability before joining the rest of the units and loading up into 28 tour buses destined for Houston. We had the best driver – NOT! He only got lost three times before we even made it out of Belton!
We got to the rodeo about 30 minutes late. The 1st Cavalry Division’s ceremonial horse detachment was supposed to open the day’s activities at 1500, but since we were late, they delayed the start to allow us time to watch the show. They did an awesome job, as you can see in this video.
After the show, all the troops were treated to a free lunch (or dinner as we call it in Texas) of delicious BBQ. We got to mingle with troops from other services and it was at this point I became acutely embarrassed for the Army.
The uniform for the event was the Army Combat Uniform – basically our camouflage uniform. Meanwhile, the Marines were in their B and C uniforms, looking spiffy. The Navy, likewise, was wearing their Navy Service Uniform and Air Force was wearing their blue uniforms as well. The Army was the only service sporting camouflage and that just doesn’t sit right with me. The city of Houston wanted to honor our troops and show off how proud they are of us. And yet, none of them knew our accomplishments because we were wearing a utility uniform. The Marines looked spiffy with all their ribbons and I observed on more than one occasion where someone would walk right past a bunch of Soldiers to have their picture taken with someone from another service because they had on a nice uniform.
I’ll have more about the rodeo, as well as some more video, up later.
The email went out this weekend to military computers across the force:
Office of the Director of National Intelligence INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
(U//FOUO) DPRK has carried out nuclear missile attack on Japan
06 March 2010
(U//FOUO) Prepared by Defense Intelligence Agency
(U//FOUO) Today, March 06, 2010 at 11.46 AM local time (UTC/GMT -5 hours), US seismographic stations recorded seismic activity in the area of Okinawa Island (Japan). According to National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has carried out an average range missile attack with use of nuclear warhead. The explosion caused severe destructions in the northern part of the Okinawa island. Casualties among the personnel of the US military base are being estimated at the moment.
(U//FOUO) In connection with the occurred events, it is necessary for the personnel of the services listed below to be ready for immediate mobilization:
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY:
OFFICE OF INTELLIGENCE AND COUNTERINTELLIGENCE
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY:
OFFICE OF INTELLIGENCE AND ANALYSIS
DEPARTMENT OF STATE:
BUREAU OF INTELLIGENCE AND RESEARCH
DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY:
OFFICE OF INTELLIGENCE AND ANALYSIS
DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION:
OFFICE OF NATIONAL SECURITY INTELLIGENCE
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
NATIONAL SECURITY BRANCH
NATIONAL GEOSPATIAL-INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
NATIONAL RECONNAISSANCE OFFICE
NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY
UNITED STATES AIR FORCE
UNITED STATES ARMY
UNITED STATES COAST GUARD
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS
UNITED STATES NAVY
The emails appear to have come from the Director of National Intelligence and the Defense Intelligence Agency. I got four emails, two from each “source.” After the text is a link for more information that is a malicious virus and phishing attempt.
When I first got it, I thought, “I didn’t hear about this in the news.” So, I did a Google search. Surely, Korea launching an attack on Japan would put the military on high alert. Well, now we know.
If you get an email with similar language, do NOT open it. Delete it immediately, especially if you’re on a government computer.
Who the heck is Jacob McFerren? He’s the political advisor to Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, commander International Security Assistance Force and U.S. Forces Afghanistan. As you know, our military commanders are having to not only conduct military operations, but also standing up peaceful governments in foreign lands that are friendly to the US. For that reason, our Generals need political advisors. This was a pretty good read and I wanted to share it with you so you can see how our commanders on the ground do what they do so successfully.
As the political advisor to the top commander in Afghanistan, Jacob McFerren is responsible for helping foster international relations with the 44 countries that currently make up the coalition forces, both NATO and non-NATO contributing nations. McFerren and General McChrystal, along with the Afghan Minister of Interior and Minister of Defense traveled to Helmand province Feb. 15, where Afghan National Army, alongside U.S. Marine and British forces, are in the midst of a major operation to rid the province of Taliban presence.
Their trip took them to Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital, and to Showa, a village outside the capital, where they reviewed the progress being made during the last two days of the offensive. After meeting with many village representatives and local government members, McFerren was asked to describe the reception they received and the general feeling of the villagers.
“When we were walking back from the helicopter, I said to the general, ‘That was good’ and the boss said something was different and I said I think it was the confidence, the confidence you could see in these people, in their eyes. They actually, it looked like they believed. They were seeing Afghan soldiers, Afghan police and Afghan leaders.”
McFerren said that the local elders offered not only to help guide Afghan security forces through the villages to show where IED’s [improvised explosive devices] were hidden, but to point out people who didn’t belong and to show them where caches of weapons were hidden.
“Essentially what happened was the mid-level and lower-level fighters put their weapons down and tried to melt into the local community. And as we know here in the communities of the Afghans, especially down south, you’re either known or you’re not and if you’re not know to them, you’re a foreigner. That type of decision by the local leaders, by the elders, to provide guides to the Afghan forces is just an incredible gift really to the Afghan leadership in Kabul which is borne about, I think by them seeing with their own eyes.”
One of the most moving scenes from the day for McFerren came when the group went to see where the ANA soldiers had replaced a Taliban flag with the Afghanistan national flag, which is now flying over the village.
“The Afghan soldiers were securing the town at every intersection, on the roofs there were Afghan and British soldiers and you could see the partnership there. People started coming out of their homes and coming up to the governor and kissing his hand and putting his hand to their forehead. It was moving the governor incredibly and he said to the police chief, after four years I didn’t think they would recognize me, but not only did they recognize him, they came out to show their respect and to thank him.
Their eyes told a story, the eyes and the smiles; it was incredible walk actually, and it happened not just once, and not just twice, but at almost every block. So you had just on so many levels this obvious outward emoting of confidence of yes, we can do this, which actually we hadn’t seen beforehand so that is what I think is different.”
In addition to the positive response from the local population, McFerren said the cooperation between the ANA and the Afghan National Police was a welcome change from the often tension-filled relationship between the two military organizations.
“In the past, at almost every level, there’s been friction between the ANA and the ANP; the ANA being much further along in training, resourcing and respect than the ANP, but there were three different instances that the ANA leader would brief and right behind him was a police member and they were sharing how the ANP would take over the security. There was no sign at all of the past friction we have seen; everyone was sharing in the moment and that what was so incredibly touching. Everyone was sharing in what was a national moment, although there a lot of people who don’t believe that this is a nation because of all the different tribes and ethnic groups. I guess you could have made that same argument about us a long time ago. You’ve got to start somewhere.”
Although this is a positive step forward for the security of the country, McFerren understands that there is much more to be done to build a safe, secure and thriving Afghanistan. Already the area is slowly returning to normal; children playing, people tending to their gardens and herds and traffic in the streets.
“We’ve got a long way to go. This is just the beginning. The truth is going to be seen in the international resolve to actually help them build what they need to build and in many instances the Afghan people aren’t certain what they need to build because it’s never been here. They’re going to need a lot of help but it’s not doing it for them it’s doing it with them. It’s going to take a long time but it takes a long time to build especially in a place where nothing has been built prior. That all takes time, all takes resolve and an international resolve to move forward to make things safer.”
Most importantly, McFerren said a permanent Afghan security presence is needed not only in the south but throughout Afghanistan, in order to prevent insurgents from occupying villages and halting economic development.
“They did before; they will again, it is their intent to do so. The worst thing we could do right now is to leave; to give them that opportunity. There needs to be a permanent security presence throughout the country. They [ANA] know that the fight isn’t over, but they know they have done something which no one was actually sure that they could, and not only doing, it but doing it well. They know they have a long way to go and they know that this is just the beginning, but they did it. Their own people saw that they did it. This will be huge for them.“
This interview was performed by SSgt Sarah Brown, USAF.
Don’t think that our borders and systems aren’t vulnerable? Check out these photos.
Looks like any other Soldier you’ve seen right? “LTC Rivera” is wearing his Combat Infantry Badge (2nd award, by the way), Master Parachutist, and Air Assault Badge in the right places.
Rivera was wearing a full U.S. Army ACU uniform displaying the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He was selected for exam by the CBP Narcotics Unit who was conducting a 100% passport inspection on Avianca Airlines flight 08 from Pereira, Colombia. He stated he works as a security guard and that he was in Colombia to propose to his girlfriend.
When asked about the Army uniform he stated that he went to Colombia to play paintball. However, during the questioning, he had trembling hands, sweat forming on his forehead, he was unable/unwilling to maintain eye contact, and had a pulsating carotid artery along with a continued display of nervous behavior. These are what we call “kinesic indicators of deception.”
So, the agents did a more thorough search of his possessions. During the exam, a set of orders were found which appeared to be authentic. The orders had Rivera’s name, home address, DOB, SSN on them. They appeared to be on authentic U.S. Army letterhead and directed him to report to MacDill AFB in Tampa, FL.
Rivera’s uniform also displayed patches for two different units.
The combat patch was for the 101st Airborne and was supposedly assigned to the 1st Calvary here at Fort Hood.
Thankfully, some highly trained customs agents did their due diligence and acted on their hunches. “LTC Rivera” won’t be coming to the United States and will instead find himself in a pound me in the butt prison somewhere. Unfortunately, I don’t think that the Stolen Valour Act applies to foreigners.
Charlie Wilson of the Charlie Wilson Band performs for service members Feb. 24 at the Sustainer Theater at Joint Base Balad, Iraq. Wilson, a Tulsa, Okla., native, who now lives in Los Angeles, performed in Iraq for the second consecutive year, wrapping up this tour Feb. 25.
Charlie Wilson of the Charlie Wilson Band performed for more than 300 service members and civilians at the Sustainer Theater Feb. 24 at Joint Base Balad, Iraq.
Wilson, a Tulsa, Okla., native, who now lives in Los Angeles, said this was his second tour in Iraq, which ran Feb. 17 to Feb. 25 with a final stop in Kuwait.
Wilson recently overcame prostate cancer and put out a new album, and then came to JBB and performed his hit single “There Goes My Baby.” He also performed some of his classic Gap Band songs, including “You Dropped a Bomb on Me.”
“It’s great to see their smiles, even if it is for only a few moments … It’s good knowing they’re having a good time,” he said.
Wilson said he knows Soldiers have tough jobs.
“I know it’s kind of crazy out there and anything can happen,” he said.
Jenna Lankford, an assistant for Wilson and a Los Angeles native, said the group was more prepared than it was last year and knew what to expect.
“We come here for the troops,” said Lankford. “It’s not about getting paid; it’s about the people risking their lives for us and us being able to give one good night of entertainment.”
Spc. Tyler E. Klinger, a food service specialist with the 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) and a Kent City, Mich., native, said he was relatively unfamiliar with Charlie Wilson but he wanted to see a good concert.
“I think these shows are great for morale,” said Klinger.
Spc. Vashion R. Lee, also a food service specialist with the 13th ESC and Tallahassee, Fla., native, said he had heard of the Gap Band and knew Wilson’s other music.
“I heard his music when I was growing up all the time,” said Lee. “I know he has been working with R. Kelly as well.”
Wilson said he has made some memories in Iraq.
“I love coming here,” he said. “I come here to make (service members) have some fun and that’s the bottom line. I’ve been asked to come back next year and I’m delighted to.”
Wilson said he appreciates service members’ work and will continue to bring his love to them.
“From the bottom of my heart, anything I can do for you just ask and I’m on my way,” he said. “I don’t care what it is or what’s going on; if you can get me here, I’m there.”
This is a great step forward. The Afghan flag was raised over the town of Marjah on February 25 in what U.S. commanders called a new beginning for the former Taliban stronghold.
I had no idea this existed, but it couldn’t have come at a more convenient time. Last week, we got our tax refund (which is already spent) and paid off some bills. We are now almost completely debt free and it feels good. This week is National Military Saves Week. I’ll let LTG Robert Cone tell you what it is, but first I want to tell you how we’ve managed to get out of debt.
When I first joined the Army, my TAKE HOME pay was a little less than $300 every two weeks. With this nearly $600 each month, I had to pay a car payment, insurance, gas, and food. My wife and I were newly married and she became pregnant immediately. With a baby on the way, all we had to live off of was ramen and spaghetti for a LONG time.
We made a bunch of stupid decisions beginning with the decision to purchase a brand new vehicle (Suzuki Esteem) instead of finding a cheap used one. When our family grew, we tried to trade into a bigger car (Suzuki Esteem Wagon) but owed more money than it was worth and ended up added that cost to the new vehicle. Things went downhill from there. We (meaning me most of the time) ended up charging a lot of stuff and digging ourselves into debt. Fingerhut owned us and Sears wouldn’t stop calling.
After about five years of almost unmanageable debt, I started working with our creditors to get out of debt. We began by convincing the credit card companies it was in their best interest to lower our interest rates so we could pay the cards off as opposed to just filing bankruptcy. Filing, of course, would have ruined my security clearance and there was no way I was going to do that but they didn’t know that.
Once rates were lowered, we targeted our smallest bill and made minimum payments on everything else until that bill was paid off. Then, we took the money we WERE paying each month on that bill and applied it to the next bill ON TOP OF the minimum payment. Once that one was paid off, we rolled that monthly payment to the next and so on. We got to a point where we were literally paying $600 a month on ONE bill with a minimum payment of about $20. The snowball effect of such a tactic is amazing!
On top of this, we continued to pay our tithing, which according to biblical scripture is 10%. We did so regardless of our financial situation and I believe we were blessed because of it. We are now almost completely debt free from unsecured debt. We still – for just a few more months – owe on our cars and still have house payments, of course. It’s taken us less than five years to get rid of more than ten years of debt this way.
As Soldiers, you work very hard for your money, and most of the time it never seems like you have enough. How many times have you looked around at the end of each month and asked yourself where did it go? Every month you pay your utility bills, car payments, insurance premiums, rent or home mortgage and credit cards bills, BUT are you paying yourself?
If you’ve ever been to a financial planning seminar the advice they always tell you up front is to “pay yourself first.”
Next week, February 21-28, is “National Military Saves Week.” Military Saves is a national campaign to persuade, motivate and encourage military families to save money every month, and to convince leaders and organizations to be aggressive in promoting automatic savings.
One of the main secrets to accumulating wealth, and more importantly financial stability and security in the long term, is consistent action over time. These actions include setting financial goals; creating, and sticking to, a budget; consolidating and paying down debt; and saving and/or investing your hard earned money.
One of the easiest and best ways to save money is to set up an automatic bank draft. By having a set amount of money deposited into a savings account each month you are effectively “paying yourself first.” Start out small and be realistic with your needs and goals. Look for ways to cut back on your spending and take personal responsibility for your financial future.
You can start right now by taking the Saver Pledge: “I will help myself by saving money, reducing debt, and building wealth over time. I will help my family and my country by encouraging other Americans to build wealth, not debt.”
There are a whole host of resources available here on Fort Hood to help you on your way to financial readiness and future wealth. From your unit command financial noncommissioned officer to the Personal Financial Assistance Center, located in the Resiliency Campus, professionals are standing by to help.
The Army Community Service Financial Readiness Branch offers classes about credit, savings, investing, home buying, banking, budgeting/debt management, insurance and consumer awareness/identity theft.
Financial readiness is a personal obligation for every Soldier. You cannot effectively focus on your mission if you are worried about finances and debt. Take charge of your fiscal future by taking advantage of these resources and developing healthy money management habits and routines.
I personally encourage all of you to begin saving this week and make it a lifelong commitment. Good luck on your quest to build wealth, eliminate debt, and achieve financial independence.
With a military career that spans four decades, includes three deployments and covers two branches of service, Lt. Col. John Luchansky is preparing to retire after a long and distinguished military career.
After graduating from Youngstown State University, Luchansky followed in the footsteps of his father and brother and joined the Marines. After completing a tour of duty in Vietnam, he returned home to attend law school at the University of Toledo. As he recalls, the Army recruiting office was just a block away from his campus, so he decided to join the Army Reserve.
Now, after returning from a deployment to Iraq last fall, he notes the changes in himself and the military in the past 40 years.
“When I served in Vietnam, I was a 22-year-old pup. Then, when I first deployed for Operation Iraqi Freedom, I was 57 and serving along with people nearly a third of my age,” he said. “In Vietnam, it wasn’t an all-volunteer force. Now, the Soldiers I work with are enthusiastic about serving their country, regardless of their role, and they want to be where they are. They displayed a true sense of patriotism throughout the deployment.”
He also spoke about the marked difference of community support.
“Coming back from Vietnam, it was kept quiet – no one wanted to fly home in uniform and no one was there to shake our hands. But this time, everyone warmly welcomed us home. People might disagree with the operations overseas, but people continue to strongly support the troops. It is a great culture to return home to,” Luchansky said.
When Luchansky arrived in Iraq in September 2007, he was tasked by the Commanding General of Detainee Operations to oversee the establishment of a team to study the circumstances surrounding released detainees’ return to insurgent activity. Throughout his two years in theater, he successfully reduced return to crime rates from 7 percent to less than 1 percent. Additionally, the Soldier served as the Staff Judge Advocate for Contract and Fiscal Law and provided legal review for more than 450 proposed contracts.
“I am proud of what I accomplished. I worked with outstanding Soldiers, Airmen and Navy personnel who are much younger than myself and for Generals who have appreciated my years of service,” he said.
For his meritorious service throughout the 23-month deployment and successful completion of his mission, Luchansky was awarded the Bronze Star Medal. The award citation reads: “While forward deployed in a hostile fire environment, Lt. Col. Luchansky demonstrated unparalleled leadership in a joint service environment and was willing to accept additional responsibilities as it became necessary to achieve mission completion.”
In addition to his most recent deployment, he also volunteered for a deployment to Kuwait in 2006-2007 where he served with the 377th Theater Support Command. Prior to deploying, the Reservist chose to close the private law office he had managed. He said that his clients were very positive about the transition and appreciative for his military service.
With nearly four decades of military service, Luchansky plans to retire in March. He is not planning to return to private practice as an attorney, but hopes to find employment utilizing his legal background. Additionally, he looks forward to spending increased time with his wife, Linda, and son, who was married last fall.
“Both my wife and my son made a lot of sacrifices to support my military career. I am excited to spend more time with them. It is long overdue,” he said.
