She's So Sweet

My wife passed along this little tidbit.

Seems my daughter, M, showed up with her pooh bear backpack, and declared it was time to go.

Go where, she was asked.

"I go to Anananatan to go get my Daddy!!"

(approx.) 35 days to go.

I can feel the support from here

There's a blogger out there, Mr. Andrew Sullivan, who's trying to get bumper sticker suggestions.

One of his that he's posted is: How Many Soldiers-per-Gallon Does Your SUV Get?

Nice.

News...

Well, I'd intended to post this yesterday, but... other stuff came up.

Anyway, we had another ramp ceremony today. Could recognize it coming, as the C-17 again was parked in its unusual place, and the base was again quiet. What was surprising was how big it was. Several of the allies marched out. Very large group of Soldiers there for the ceremony.

We have a new policy taking effect. It's a uniform change. The powers that be have decided we need to visibly show our solidarity with the Afghan people. (snort) How best might we do this? Our Soldiers fighting and dying alongside theirs is apparently not a powerful enough image... What to do? What to do?

The solution? We are all adding a lapel pin to our uniform. It will be worn at all times (with notable exceptions) so the Afghans will see that we support them. The pin is a "friendship" style pin with the American and Afghan flags. It'll be worn on the right breast pocket.

The exceptions? Well, we can't wear it outside the wire (you know, where the Afghans are... the ones who are supposed to see the pin.) Since it's a pin, we can't wear it while working on aircraft (meaning it's now a nuisance to pin on, take off, pin on, take off, constantly throughout the day.)

What it comes down to is that we're wearing a new pin to show friendship with the Afghans, but the Afghans will never see it. We'll see it, but since it's going to be an incredible pain in the tuckus, most of us could do without it.

Not sure what this is supposed to achieve. My cynical side suspects there was a warehouse of 10,000 pins that just got unloaded on us. However, let's take TPTB at their word. In a briefing the other day, we were told how the Taliban and al-Qaeda are making the locals cooperate with them and threaten to kill/rape/maim/kidnap (these guys are just a cornucopia of options) anyone cooperating with the Americans. I can see the Afghans now... "Whom should I help? The Taliban are threatening to kill my sons and rape my wife and daughter... but... the Americans... they're wearing such beautiful pins (or so I hear). I think I'll help the Americans!"

A buddy and I were talking the other night, and I said something that he said, "That's good... write that down." Well, thank you... What I said was, "I remember studying how we used to fight wars to win... now we seem to fight to please."

Whether it's wearing a pin (can't resist - which pinhead came up with that?), or asking "Mother-may-I?" before we defend our country, or tying our military's hands behind its back so we don't offend anyone with the brutality of war... we don't fight to win. We fight to please someone. What a ridiculous way to do it.

Common variation of a theme heard around post - "If only they let us fight the way we could..." The American military has an awesome firepower... but we often hamper it with restrictions and rules. This is quite counterproductive, especially against enemies who have no such rules.

The enemy knows we follow these rules, and use it to their advantage. They know we don't leave anyone behind on the battlefield... so, they stage a small attack, wait for the Medevacs, and fire at them (Geneva Convention, Newsweek?). They know we won't attack civilians, so they hide amongst them. They know we won't attack mosques, so they hide in there.

What a stupid way to fight a war.

What really tears at me are the stories I hear... from people who are "reliable sources" and know what's what. I wish I could share them... can't. Not now, but... maybe one day. OPSEC gets in the way, but... truly tragic. When "fighting to please" replaces "fighting to win"... you neither win nor please.

Help Make This Better?

Ok, a request... anyone good at programming web pages?

I'd like to snazzy this site up, but... I don't know the HTML well enough, nor am I swamped with time to learn.

Any web gurus out there willing to take on a charity case?

Something I wrote...

In church today... after we started off with the announcement of four more Soldiers dying.

I felt suddenly moved to start writing. What follows flowed into me... there's a tune with it in my head, but then... I'm not great at writing tunes.

Part of this springs from the recent Cindy Sheehan events, and of course, a lot of the other protests...

So, here it is.

"Untitled - for now"

The ribbon has faded now.
A tattered flag hangs with shame.
And your voice shouts out, “How
Have we now lost our aim?”

They say we support our troops,
But we’ve got to bring them back.
Their mission is… a colossal “Oops!”
Give ‘em the safety they now lack.

But what you call our support
Means you’re wishing us to fail:
To not defend America – our Fort!
To tuck twixt our legs our tail.

Do you want it to be for naught?
Do you want them all to win?
Give them the victory they sought?
Have our buildings fall again?

We volunteered to stand on this wall.
To guard against all our foes.
We know that some will tragically fall…
Stopping that which evil sows.

So it comes to this, that we ask –
Please, support us now all the way.
Fight the fight, finish the task…
R’mber, God Bless the USA!

A note from my Dad

My Dad sent a request to pass this on to all of you, so...

here goes: I've checked none of this out, but... take a look. Might as well.

JUST A REMINDER 31 days from today, cell phone numbers are being released to
telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sale calls. YOU WILL
BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS. These Telemarketers will eat up your free
minutes and end up costing you money in the long run. To prevent this, call
the following number from your cell phone: 888/382-1222. It is the
National DO NOT CALL list. It will only take a minute of your time. It
blocks your number for five (5)years. PASS THIS ON TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS
You can register on line at:

http://www.donotcall.gov/

Education on Spam

Some good questions by y'all about the spammers.

First, Spam is unwanted messages - usually e-mail, but can also be comments on blogs like this.

Second, Spam is rarely generated by a person. Most often, it's done by a computer program.

A computer can be programmed to send an e-mail message to everyone in a network.
A computer can be programmed to search blogs and post comments to them.

That's what's happened here.

The "Secret Word" test is there because computers can't read. So, while they can automatically send a message, they don't know how to answer the test question, "What word do you see?"

Thus, stopping automated spam.

You, lucky humans, can see and thus must take this test with every post.

Say, "Thank you, Spammers."

Soldiers' Deaths in Afghanistan

2 earlier in the week... 4 today. Learned about the 4 while in church... it'd just happened.

Yes, all from our post.

Sad day.

Changes to Blog

Well, let's welcome the Spammers...

Logged in to see so many comments. Was excited. What could lil' ol' me have written that generated such a response!?

Spam.

All the spam comments have been deleted (I think?). Also, I've now activated the feature where you will have to verify a word to post a comment. Sorry, but necessary...

Back to the blog...

Neat Twist of Fate

Yesterday, we became a full room again. One of my roomies returned from a 45 day stint at a FOB.

The other returned from leave.

Was going to be all crowded again.

But wait! Up in the sky... is it a mosquito? Is it a helicopter? No, it's Twist-of-Fate Man!

All THREE of my roomies have been assigned to night shift.

Translation = I'll never see them.

Effectively gives me a single room, with 1/4 of the space. Should be like this for a few weeks. Such a tragedy.

Nice moon out tonight.

Blood for Oil

The argument is made by anti-war protesters that this is a war for oil.

Ok, I'll play along.

Let's say that it is.

Is that a bad thing? Part of the job of the government is to ensure a smooth economy. Now, economics is a complicated subject, but we'll try to keep things simple.

Energy makes the world go round. If you make Widgets, you need transportation to get your widgets to the market. Energy. You need power for your factory. Energy. In short, you need energy for each step of the economic process.

In America, we've managed to stifle our energy producing industries (no new nuclear power plants, restrictions on oil drilling/refining, coal mining, etc.) Since solar and wind power haven't generated the fruit we've all dreamed of, and the world still runs on gasoline/kerosene/and other oil fuels... we have to get it from somewhere.

Historically, when a nation has been threatened with the loss of a key part of its structure, it fights. Whether that structure part be land, energy, food, or freedom, that's what happens.

Divert water away from a country? War. Take it's land? War. Oppress it? War.

Has there been war for oil? Sure. Anyone remember WW2? The Japanese felt threatened by the US embargo on it's oil. Not having any natural reserves of its own, it took others. They even had a name for the plan... the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. (Pearl Harbor was just a failed attempt to keep the United States from meddling in their plan.)

In our case, we have managed to become dependent upon Middle East oil. It's in our interest to keep the tap open and the oil flowing. Not just to fuel our SUV's (a specious argument for gas prices rising), but also for all of the other products that petroleum gives us.

Plastics. (Surprised you there.) Plastics are an oil byproduct. Look around. Lots of plastic in use.

Asphalt.

Lubricating oils.

Parafin wax - good for candles, candies...

Used in manufacturing of carbon and graphite and aluminum. Also synthetic rubber.

In fact, petroleum accounts for 89% of our nation's non-fuel energy use.

Imagine if it was gone. So, you see, a "War for Oil" isn't necessarily a bad thing.

But then, that's not what this is about... (mostly).

Why Doesn't ______ Make His Child Enlist?

See this a lot, too.

Variation on a theme, but generally like this, "If you're so for the war, why don't you make your son/daughter enlist and go to Iraq?"

1) It's a volunteer military. NO ONE makes anyone join. When I signed the paper, no one made me do it. I could have walked away. When I raised my hand (twice) to take the Oath of Enlistment, I could have walked away. At no time in the processing center did I see a parent dragging their grown child in, with the child screaming, "No, Daddy, I don't wanna play Army..."

It's a choice. Some make it, some do not. I've spoken with Drill Sergeants, and they've said that they've seen all kinds. Former doctors, lawyers, etc... walk away from it and enlist (no, not be officers... enlist.) Rich kids, poor kids, people from other countries who aren't even citizens of America (like a good buddy of mine) have all enlisted.

2) You can't just "go to Iraq". Sorry, the military doesn't work that way. You join, and then you become a commodity for the service. "Needs of the Army" as we say. If they need you in Korea, you go to Korea. Africa... Europe... Afghanistan, wherever. Yes, you can increase your odds of going - choose certain jobs, try to go to certain units, but... still go guarantee on going... or not going. Plenty of letters get written to "Stars and Stripes" and "Army Times" from Soldiers who want to go but are assigned elsewhere. It's just not so simple.



Part of what's not being taught as much in school anymore is why the American system works. Let's look at the military. Mr. Snuffy does not join the Army to support President Smith. First of all, would be foolish because of the 8 year committment, so odds are, at some point, PVT Snuffy would take orders from President Jones, not President Smith.

The military is managed by civilians. We follow orders from them. We go where they tell us to, and not go where they say not to go. If President Kerry had come and on 21 January 2005 told the Pentagon to begin an immediate withdrawal, then that's what would have happened.

The oath taken is that we'll support and defend the Constitution. No one man, his policies, or otherwise.

You don't have to agree with the orders that come down, or the policies behind them. But the Constitution says we follow those orders, and that's what we do.

And while I'm thinking about it...

How about some respect?

I grow weary of people protesting the way they do. References to "Dumya", or prezdint, or even simply, "George..."

He's the President of the United States.

Something that is taught in the military (and should be taught in every home) is how to disagree respectfully.

Let's say First Sergeant has a plan. It's a mistake. I do NOT say, "What a crazy, jacked-up idea... You're an idiot." (Those of you in the military can imagine what my next few hours of life would be like.) Instead, I'd say, "First Sergeant, respectfully, there may be some flaws to the plan."

My thoughts, my ideas, what I'm trying to say, will be heard by more if I say it respectfully. Every time I go to a website that's filled with hate-filled, disrespectful language, I don't care anymore about what their position is. It's lost on me.

Make your argument. Do it without the profanity. Do it with respect for your opponent. Then I'll listen. Who knows? Perhaps you'll convince me.

Politics

I have some thoughts I want to share about what's going on with a few news items. As with ALL comments political, some out there are going to disagree. That's fine. Part of the beauty of the country. I even love a good debate. However, some ground rules. If you comment on this, have the fortitude to post an e-mail address... perhaps I'd like to respond. Second, behave yourself. Haven't deleted any comments yet, and don't want to start.

So, that said, here we go.

Cindy Sheehan

She bothers me. Not for her protest. God bless her for that. She can protest, and is doing so legally.

She's disingenuous. She says she wants a meeting with the President, and he's a coward for not meeting with her.

For starters, I invite you to read this article which covers Mrs. Sheehan's meeting with the President. The quotes are interesting. For example, we learn that the family hasn't supported the war (which is fine), and debated whether or not to mention that to the President. They decided not to, as they believed Casey (their son killed in Iraq) wouldn't want that. Further, she's quoted as saying that she believes the President genuinely cares and is a man of faith.

So, what's changed?

She's now quoted as saying that the President "bounced" into the meeting and didn't know what he was there for. Ok, step back. Do we honestly believe, that a man who has every minute of his day mapped out, has piles of briefing materials prepared for every event, and more aides than we can count... do we honestly believe that he has NO IDEA why he's in a meeting?

Does President Bush not care about the families of the Soldiers who've died? Try this Newsweek report detailing the President's meetings with families.

I don't think so. I have no doubt that the President anguishes when troops die. He ordered them there.

So, what does Mrs. Sheehan want? Well, she's started by saying she wants to hear the President tell her why her son died. But, apparently, her mind is closed to what he'll say. Reference this transcript of a speech she gave at a Veterans for Peace gathering. Some interesting quotes there. It's a tough read because she rambles (forgivable, she's not yet a practiced public figure), but you'll see where she not only wants America out of Iraq, she wants Israel out of Palestine, she's not paying taxes, and this is all about oil (I'll come back to that one).

According to Mrs. Sheehan, This country is not worth dying for.

I don't doubt that Mrs. Sheehan grieves for her son's loss. I'm just not quite sure what she's wanting to achieve. Reading her speeches and quotes, she's all over the place. Very angry (understandable), but... I don't know what she wants.

I certainly can't blame the President for not giving her a bigger forum. I doubt that it'd change anything, anyway.

Just a laugh to share...

Completely unrelated to Afghanistan.

But, it tickled my funnybone...

Life is tough.
It's tougher if you're stupid.

One: Recently, when I went to McDonald's I sawon the menu that you could have an order of 6, 9 or 12 Chicken McNuggets. I asked for a half dozen nuggets. "We don't have half dozen nuggets," said the teenager at the counter. "You don't?" I replied. "We only have six, nine, or twelve," was the reply. "So I can't order a half dozen nuggets, but I can order six?" "That's right." So I shook my head and ordered six McNuggets.

Two: I was checking out at the local Walmart with just a few items and the lady behind me put her things on the belt close to mine. I picked up one of those"dividers" that they keep by the cash register and placed it between our things so they wouldn't get mixed. After the girl had scanned all of my items, she picked up the "divider," looking it all over for the bar code so she could scan it. Not finding the bar code she said to me, "Do you know how much this is?" I said to her "I've changed my mind, I don't think I'll buy that today." She said "OK," and I paid her for the things and left. She had no clue to what had just happened.

Three: A lady at work was seen putting a credit card into her floppy drive and pulling it out very quickly. When I inquired as to what she was doing, she said she was shopping on the Internet and they kept asking for a credit card number, so she was using the ATM "thingy."

Four: recently saw a distraught young lady weeping beside her car. "Do you need some help?" I asked. She replied, "I knew I should have replaced the battery to this remote door unlocker. Now I can't get into my car. Do you think they (pointing to a distant convenience store) would have a battery to fit this?" "Hmmm, I dunno. Do you have an alarm, too?" I asked. "No, just this remote thingy," she answered, handing it and the car keys to me. As I took the key and manually unlocked the door, I replied, "Why don't you drive over there and check about the batteries. It's a long walk."

Five: Several years ago, we had an Intern who was none too swift. One day she was typing and turned to a secretary and said, "I'm almost out of typing paper. What do I do?" "Just use copier machine paper," the secretary told her. With that, the intern took her last remaining blank piece of paper, put it on the photocopier and proceeded to make five "blank" copies.

Six: was in a car dealership a while ago, when a large motor home was towed into the garage. The front of the vehicle was in dire need of repair and the whole thing generally looked like an extra in"Twister." I asked the manager what had happened. He told me that the driver had set the "cruise control" and then went in the back to make a sandwich.

Seven: My neighbor works in the operations department in the central office of a large bank. Employees in the field call him when they have problems with their computers. One night he got a call from a woman in one of the branch banks who had this question: "I've got smoke coming from the back of my terminal. Do you guys have a fire downtown?"

Eight: In Radnor, Pa., police interrogated a suspect by placing a metal colander on his head and connecting it with wires to a photocopy machine. The message "He's lying" was placed in the copier, and police pressed the copy button each time they thought the suspect wasn't telling the truth. Believing the"lie detector" was working, the suspect confessed.

Nine: A mother calls 911 very worried asking the dispatcher if she needs to take her kid to the emergency room, the kid was eating ants. The dispatcher tells her to give the kid some Benadryl and should be fine, the mother says, I just gave him some ant killer.....Dispatcher: Rush him in to emergency!

and of course "I believe Dallas IS in Houston, sir."

Me on a Chinook

I was running around taking pictures of our area for a "Travel Brochure" we're putting together for the unit that'll replace us.

Well, in the process, I climbed up on top of a Chinook.

Great view from up there. Never thought I'd get the chance to be up on top of one. Not my bird, no reason to.

Anyway, while I'm up there, one of the civilian contractors comes up, asking if I was with "Stars and Stripes". HA! Well, since he was there, I got a picture...

Having fun...

Cool Picture of the Space Shuttle

Came across this and it's just a beautiful picture... very inspiring...

Malta!

Going to Malta on R&R leave. Anyone ever been? I never have, so this should be interesting. Some place I've NEVER been before.

Malta is a small island in the Mediterranean. Ellicia and I are going by ourselves (well, we're taking Thomas...)

Just a week alone... exploring. Relaxing.

So, if you've been to Malta, I'd love to hear from you...

The Ramp Ceremony

Today had an unusual beginning.

We started our shift @ 0200Z, as always. Did a minor servicing, and came back to the office. Noticed a C-17 parked oddly nearby, but didn't think more of it. Then noticed a note saying no APU's or AGPU's (Aircraft Ground Power Unit - basically a small jet engine in a trailer that powers aircraft for us - pretty cool) could be used between 0300 - 0430Z. Odd.

Later, around 0330Z, we went to go inventory our ammo area (right next to where the C-17 was parked).

Then we saw it. A Ramp Ceremony.

A Ramp Ceremony is when they load a fallen Soldier onto the aircraft for the ride home. I have no pictures of this, so I'll try to convey the scene.

The Soldier's unit forms up at the rear of the cargo aircraft. The colors are present. It's a split formation, flanking both sides, with a gap in the middle.

A Humvee pulls up, and the Honor Guard removes the flag-draped casket. It is then marched to the aircraft. The formation comes to attention, and salutes.

The casket is loaded. There is a short moment of silence, and then the formation marches off. The Soldier is going home.


Some notes about this particular one. Our airfield is busy. REGULARLY busy. Especially this time of day. There was no activity. Nothing. I could hear sounds from miles away, and I was mere feet from the runway. The base had managed to arrange for no activity, no loud noises (no firing range, no EOD explosions, no maintenance), and no aircraft for this Soldier's departure.

Another sad note. I saw the uniforms they were wearing. They were the Army's new ACU's, which are quite different from the tan ones you've seen on TV and I've been wearing. The only unit on base wearing those right now is the unit (unnamed for OPSEC) that just arrived. This Soldier had just gotten here. Sad.

That was the start of our day. We all came to a stop, and watched silently, standing, as the Soldier was loaded onto his flight home.

Hooah.

Almost 2,000!

Wow... almost 2,000 visits to this lil' ol' blog in the corner of the web.  Thank you each for visiting!

Thunderstorms

Supposedly were in our weather forecasts. uh-huh. It HAS been very dusty lately. Sometimes hard to see the end of the flightline. Dust just gets everywhere.

Lost our water today. Never know when that's going to happen. I keep waiting to be caught in the shower.

Comfortable routine going. OPTEMPO is going to be highly increased for the next six weeks as the elections approach. Seems there are some people in this land who don't want democracy and apple pie. While I prefer pecan pie myself, I don't see what the problem is...

Anyway, the bad guys are getting more aggressive.

Finally getting over my cold.

Trying to keep straight which day it is sometimes...

Shameless Plugs

Today, some shameless plugs for folks out there who are doing some wonderful things.

First off, the folks at Dog Tags for Kids have a unique support program. They send dog tags for the children of those serving.
I requested some for my three younguns. Was told that it wouldn't happen because they'd run out of money and couldn't raise anymore. Disappointed, I moved on. Imagine my surprise one day to get a package in the mail containing 150 tags! Seems the nice folks at Diamond Jim's Casino in Rosemond, CA had held a fund-raising night. According to Dog Tags for Kids, they raised enough for over 3500 tags.
I passed them out to any parent who wanted them. Folks, even the more hardened of our group eagerly came asking me (sometimes in whispered asides), "Hey, you the one with the tags? I've got, um... two kids back home." Faces lit up. People were so eager.
All this for a dog tag.
Goes back to an earlier post I made... most Soldiers won't ask for anything (as I understand some of you have learned.) But to give to those back home, they were excited. I can't support this group enough, so please support them. You'll even get your own dog tag when you donate.
These are so popular, I've written back asking for more for our Task Force.

Next up, we have KTSY-FM 89.5 in Boise, Idaho and Albertson's Department Stores. I was surprised to receive a box of goodies marked Boise, Idaho. And by goodies, I mean GOODIES! Ritz crackers, Twinkies!, and other lil' assorteds... Oh, these people have made a friend. Promptly shared (ok, maybe reluctantly for the Twinkies). Just really surprised. I know no one in Boise. So, to whomever and however I ended up on the list... Thank you.

And now, a general thank you to all of you. Part of what I do is help sort the mail. Packages roll in every third day or so. It's really something. I look at the labels on these, and one thing that catches my eye. Y'all are really spending a lot of your hard-earned $$$ on us. $10, $12, $18 for postage starts adding up!

1SG has received packages from his Soldier Angel including electronic dartboards, baseball kits, tennis balls AND racquets, and LOTS of water balloons (not sure how we'll use those...). Commander received a box with over 12 CASES of Ramen noodle soup.

Frozen popsicles.

Trail mix.

Powdered drink mixes.

Cookies.

Cookies.

Beef jerky.

Toiletries (I've distributed over a hundred free razors, chapstick, etc.)

YOU folks are amazing.

Thank you.

Good (and under-reported) News from Afghanistan

This is all compiled by an Australian blogger. Think it's a worthwhile read as I doubt you'll hear these stories anywhere else...

http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110007073

Letters from Children

Some of the best mail I get is the occasional letter from a child. Now, cynical side of me often wonders if it's just a project for class or such, but...

I suspect not.

Often times, the letters are accompanied by a note from the adult who says how much the children wanted to do it.

The letters are cute, simple, and heartwarmingly touching. And sometimes, amazingly... "real". In so much as the kids seem to have a great grasp of what's going on.

So, with today's mail, two more art/letters (art because they are after all done by children and no child I know just writes a letter... ART must be involved!!!)...

Enjoy, if you can read through the picture...

Was Pelosi Right?

A while back, I commented that Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) had stated that the war in Afghanistan was over.

Was she right?

I'm now reading reports that the White House is no longer referring to the "Global War on Terrorism". It's now the "struggle". Apparently "war" has the wrong connotations.

Which has a few thoughts come to mind...

First... what do I do with this "Global War on Terrorism" medal? Should I take it to an engraving shop, have "War" scratched out and "Struggle" etched in?

Second... I'm disgusted. We, as a society, have lost our mental grip on vocabulary. Forgetting the PC extremes to which we must go to avoid offending others, let's just deal with one word.

War.

Defined as "A state of open, armed, often prolonged conflict carried on between nations, states, or parties" or "A concerted effort or campaign to combat or put an end to something considered injurious."

Does this fit the current state of affairs in Iraq and Afghanistan? Hmm, let me see... bullets flying, bombs, IED's, rocket attacks, wounded and dead Soldiers. Yep, sounds like a war.

Struggle: "To progress with difficulty" and "To be strenuously engaged with a problem, task, or undertaking."

Now, folks, let's be realistic about what we're doing here. Soldiers are fighting, and dying, out here. Fire is being exchanged and returned by the enemy ("enemy" - another clue this is a war).

We're fighting (oops, there's another hint) an insurgency. Ever noted an insurgency when you've been struggling with that stuck lid on the pickle jar?

Part of our problem is that we've slowly redefined the word "War". Wars used to be declared. You knew, without a doubt, that there was a war on.

Revolutionary War.
War of 1812.
War of Northern Aggression (oops, "Civil War").
Spanish-American War.
World War I.
World War II.

Some great declared wars. Then, in the 50's we strayed... Korean Conflict (or Police Action). Vietnam War (but, oops, not declared). We also had the War on Poverty. War on Racism. War on Drugs. There's also the War on Illiteracy, War on Obsesity, and quite a few other Wars out there.

We have price wars, gang wars, warring neighbors, etc.

With possibly the exception of gang wars... did anyone see any tanks rolling through the streets? Yes, there were the National Guard incidents during the Civil Rights era... but for the most part, is that what you think of when you hear of these wars?

No.

Most are just government programs or a phrase to try to motivate you to join a particular cause... or "struggle".

We have real troops on the ground. Real weapons being fired. Real casualties. And we don't want to call this a "war"? What should we call it? A tea party (nope, been done)?

We have to stop being afraid of words. Words have value. When used properly, they accurately convey the message we want. When improperly used, or subverted, the message gets lost in the inaccuracy and dishonesty of the new words.

A war is a war. Don't hide it. Revel in all the ugliness that comes with it. It is SUPPOSED to conjure up the negative images. It's so you don't enjoy war, so you avoid it when possible, and fight with ALL your resources to end it. Struggles aren't so motivating.

We've lost our call to arms... We're trying to pretend that we're not fighting. We're worried that the American public won't accept a war. Well, when it's covered up, hidden, deflected, and swept under a rug... I wouldn't expect anyone to want it either.

This struggle must be going fairly well. Years ago, we were afraid of more terrorist attacks. Now, we're just afraid someone will be upset that we're at war.

Y'all Are Amazing

My wife has now receive a care package...

I am stunned at just how giving you folks out there are to total and complete strangers.

The girls have gone nuts over the Strawberry Shortcake party supplies, the barrettes, socks, and assorted other stuff. Thomas is unimpressed.

Thank you...

Happy Anniversary!

I'd like to say Happy 50th Anniversary to my Uncle Abie and Aunt Eleanor. What an accomplishment. And more, what a blessing.

I can only hope that I am blessed to spend fifty years with Ellicia.

Congratulations, you two. May each anniversary continue to bring you happiness.

My Wall

Here is an image of my wall. You'll notice it's slowly getting filled. Can you spot what you've sent?

There are some wonderful cards, pictures, my children's drawings, and even a cartoon. Wonder how full we can make it?

Thank you for all the cards and letters... and those wonderful care packages...

VTC

We had another VTC scheduled today...

I'm surprised people still sign up for these... The VTC was scheduled to start at 1100Z. My appointment was for 1349Z. I got there, and STILL they couldn't get it connected. I finally got on there about 1500Z or so...

So many spouses had given up. Others, like my beautiful bride, had children running around, and had gone through the trouble of getting there. Plus, kids were expectant, so you wait.

Quality was... slightly better this go around. They could still see me fine on the big wall projection.

I, of course, am watching on a tiny screen on a briefcase laptop. Any movement by them results in static in the picture...

BUT, they got to see me. Which is a big plus. Webcams often have a difficult time working. Also, I got to see Kira... whom I hadn't seen or heard from since she went back to the states for visitation...

So, overall... worth the wait, if not frustrating... Always good to see the kids... and, did I mention my lovely bride?

Safety Day

Today was Safety Day. Yay. Blech. Safety Day is our Task Force's monthly standdown. In theory it's so we can discuss safety, take a break and relax, refocus, and reduce the chance of accidents.

Right.

The first, and most dreaded, part of Safety Day is always the Task Force Run. The run is envisioned by our Task Force commander as something to "lift our morale".

Right.

If we were infantry, or armor, or airborne or such... I'm sure he'd be right. We're aviation. We hardly march, and we're allergic to running.

Task force runs are always a minimum of 3.1 miles, in formation. Basically, running around the airfield. And of course, people are likely to "fall out" (or fail to keep up)... This gets you all kinds of benefits. First, you get to go on a second run. Second, your company will usually add additional punishments.

You can feel the morale rising, can't you?

Next, we have safety classes. These are intriguing, exceptionally interesting classes on critical safety issues.

Right.

Anyway, after that, it gets slightly better. We have a barbeque... usually tasty.

Then, it's sports day. Teams compete in various sports (different each month). Those not playing can go back to the barracks and relax... errr, no. Sorry, they are required to cheer on their teams. Yippee!!!

When it's all said and done, it's been the equivalent of a full shift.

This is something we look forward to (not) each month.

Anyways, that's Safety Day... and another one's past. Now that's got our morale rising.

I Am the Angel of Death

That's my nickname, at least amongst the senior NCO's and officers.

Why?

Well, I've been working in Operations for a long time. Operations has many functions - primarily to ensure and facilitate the smooth functioning of the company. One of the ancillary functions, but more common and more useful, is effectively First Sergeant's personal assistant. By being one, I ensure the smooth function of the company.

While there are many details and facets to this, one specific one is basically to be his intercom. If 1SG wants to see someone, it's usually, "Stanley, go get so-and-so and bring them here."

Translation, when I show up... people's faces freeze, and the look is... "Oh dear, what's he want?" (He not referring to me.) I am the summoner, the bearer of (rarely good) news.

It's become a running gag... I'll show up somewhere, and everyone just stops, looks, and asks for whom I've come for.

For Halloween, I need to get a long black hooded cloak, a bony skeleton hand, and a staff... I think Top would get a kick out of it.

IL-76

This is an IL-76. Originally a Soviet design, it is very similar to the American C-141. There is a distinct difference - the navigator's view from the bottom of the nose. It's completely glassed in.

We see several of these each day, flying in and out.

An impressive aircraft, and being of Soviet design, it has another capability. It can go "off-road". Witnessed this first hand. One day, we saw one that'd overrun the end of the runway. Normally, a great cause of concern that can close an airport for hours or days. Not this bird. The pilot merely turned the aircraft, and drove it over the rocks and dirt until it could get back to pavement. Amazing...

Isn't she beautiful... For those who can look closely, she's from Charleston, and is actually one of the lower serial numbers planes.

She's the "Spirit of North Charleston". So, if any of you are from North Charleston, your plane has been doing wonderful things here...

We made this picture our desktop in the shop. It's just beautiful.

And, I'm not the only nut. It seems whenever aircraft go by, we all stop, look, and enjoy our private airshow...

Not Bob Barker...

But, one of my readers has brought an important safety message to light. So, for just a moment, this is for her...
(Totally confused? You're probably not her then...)

Rabies

This is my promotion certificate! Nice and pretty... :) :) :)

P-R-O-M-O-T-I-O-N

Today, I was pinned to E-4, Specialist. No longer will I be called Private. Now, I'm also just one step below Sergeant, which I've already started working for.

Big day. So excited, and worried. I kept waiting for there to be something to keep it from happening, but nope, there I was in front of the company.

I've actually known about this for awhile. I qualified for promotion back in June, and my paperwork (that makes everything official) has my Date of Rank as 01 July. I should know, I typed it.

So, I've "technically" been an E-4 for a month, just not wearing the rank. NOW, I am wearing it. Nice little jump in pay and respect. Finally did it...

It was so cool to be up there. I've waited so long for this.

Commander had some nice words to say while he pinned me on, noticing I was "getting skinny". Very pleased. Also, had my favorite Sergeant, whom I've known since my first night at AIT, back in May 2003, come up and pin me. Sort of an honor I wanted her to have, since I couldn't have Ellicia do it. She's a good friend, and pleased me to have her there. (I was expecting a disapproval from my Platoon, because she's not of our platoon, but as I explained to my Sergeant... I've known her forever, while I just joined these guys. She's made the biggest impact on my Army career. So, I asked her. She had some nice congratulatory comments - even came back around later.) And of course, Top... First Sergeant... someone whom I really look up to and respect... more solid congratulations.

So, here are some pics...


















Till later,
Specialist Stanley