A Fallen Hero And Some Disrespectful Behavior
Jul 28, 2011 Military, Opinion
I had the solemn honor of being on an aircraft today that was carrying one of our fallen heroes. His escorts were on board our plane. When we landed in Atlanta we were asked to remain seated until the escorts left the plane.
Everyone on board remained seated and quiet as those men gathered their belongings and left to do one of the hardest jobs a service member has to do. It is an honor to be on a funeral detail but one we hope never to have. We would rather do that for an aged veteran who lived a long life.
I was proud that everyone remained seated and allowed those heroes to leave unmolested by the surge of people that happens when a plane empties.
I went inside and was able to look out of the window where I saw two people holding a flag or guidon but my view was obstructed so I could not make it out. I also saw the American flag and workers standing with their hands over their hearts.
A special carrier pained in red, white, and blue was in place with the words “Some Gave All” inscribed on the back. As the flag draped casket was coming down the conveyor I stood at attention with my hand over my heart. Soldiers (the fallen hero was Air Force) from an Army unit were there and stood and saluted. Many people around us saw what was going on and when they realized what was taking place, they stood. Men removed their hats and all of us who stood waited until the hero was placed in the special carrier.
I was very unhappy with a number of people who knew what was going on but chose to read their papers and play with their electronic gadgets. They looked at all of us, looked outside to see why we were doing what we were and carried on as if nothing was taking place.
No matter how one feels about war or the military the fact remains that our fallen heroes deserve our respect.
Reading the paper or playing with an electronic gadget is not a sign of respect.
You people, and you know who you are, should be ashamed.
And for those of you who showed respect, I will take the liberty to thank you on behalf of the family and friends of that fallen hero.
I took two pictures of the carrier and I think I got the Flag draped casket in one of them. I will not post that out of respect for the fallen and his family.
Cave Canem!
Never surrender, never submit.
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Tags: air force, army, disrespect, fallen hero
Memorial Day
May 25, 2009 Political
On this day, I thought I might speak about our Armed Forces- it is a day for honoring and remembering those who have laid their lives on the line and sacrificed themselves so that we might remain free. Our armed forces have a storied history, and for any naysayers who are keeping count, there have been far fewer negative incidents than the positive and uplifting stories of bravery and compassion from our men and women.
My personal experience is not first- hand, as I missed out on being drafted in 1970 by one lottery number- I was, I had thought at the time, lucky- and perhaps I was. A person can wonder about what never was forever, and not get an answer. I was prepared to go if called, but I wasn’t happy about it. I was eighteen, and had other things on my mind at the time.
Many friends of mine went, and some didn’t return. Of those that did, they returned different. War does that- killing someone makes people think, and being scared 24/7 will do that also, because even on leave, the feeling doesn’t quite leave you, or so I have been told.
Other friends chose the National Guard, because those were your choices, join or be drafted, and as our Army Generals found out, a draft doesn’t work. People have to be of the right mindset to join, and those that do make better soldiers in the long run. I find it amusing that all through the Iraq war, one friend of mine, who had grown up at the same time as me was concerned about Bush reinstating the draft. I told him repeatedly that it wouldn’t happen, but he was worried about his son, who clearly isn’t Army material.
I have friends who went into the Navy- one still can’t tell me anything about his tours in a sub. Others went Air Force, and one was a Marine who was a LRRP for two tours- now he was scary, despite the fact that he weighed 145 pounds soaking wet. I once saw him take out three people at a pool table who were harassing him. Him I did not want for an opponent. We became fast friends, however- and a truer friend I have never had.
So the Draft Army became the Volunteer Army, and since has gone through several stages of shrinkage and growth, as politicians diddle with the Armed Forces, and, depending on the politician’s beliefs and prejudices, our Armed Forces have prospered or learned to do with less, but all the time have endured and protected us wherever they have been sent.
This is a magnificent force, one that has accomplished many positive things, and when you include the National Guard in the mix (as you must), these men and women have helped us at the cost to their lives and indeed at times, their families. They have been there to fight our battles, and they have been there to help in our disasters.
They are, indeed, our national treasure, one without whom we would be nothing.
Today, we should all feel pride, as well as humility, as we honor those who have fallen in all of our wars, as well as those who have come home to help make this country the best it can be.
Even though many of us disagree in the direction of this country, we should not disagree about the worth of the men and women in uniform, nor of their rightful place in our society.
Take a moment today and say thanks to a vet.
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Tags: air force, army, Marines, national guard, navy
Obama’s Defense Budget Increase
Apr 2, 2009 Political
I wrote recently that Obama was cutting the military budget and the lefties out there informed me that programs were being cut, not the operational budget which Obama has actually increased. We do not know if he has increased it because the people in the Department of Defense (DOD) had to sign non disclosure statements. The public report was a 4% increase but how do we really know this is the case if people were sworn to secrecy? It seems strange to me that the most transparent administration in history (just ask them) would do something like this.
Let us assume there was an increase and that it was 4%. It is now clear why that increase was needed and it is clear that it was not for military operations. An increase was needed so that Obama could use military aircraft to ferry around his 500 person entourage. The Washington Times reports that Obama’s trip to Europe has strained the Air Force because more aircraft were needed to fly all the additional people to Europe. It has so taxed the Air Force that the service had to use private contractors to accomplish its mission to resupply our forces in Afghanistan.
The large delegation traveling with the president in Europe required moving several transports, including jumbo C-5s and C-17s, from sorties ferrying supplies to Afghanistan to European bases for the presidential visit, said two military officials familiar with the issue. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid any misunderstanding with White House officials.
The Air Mobility Command, part of the U.S. Transportation Command, was ordered to provide airlift for the president’s entourage of nearly 500 people, including senior officials, staff, support personnel, news reporters and some 200 Secret Service agents for the European visit, which began Tuesday in London.
Airlift for the traveling entourage also was used to move the president’s new heavy-armored limousine and several presidential helicopters used for short transits.
To make up for the shortfall, the Air Force had to increase the number of Eastern European air transport contractors hired to fly Il-76 and An-124 transport jets into Afghanistan loaded with troop supplies, the two officials said.
The airlift crunch comes at a particularly difficult time, as the military is stepping up deliveries of supplies in advance of a surge of 21,000 U.S. troops.
Couple this with Nancy Pelosi’s demands on the Air Force and her use of it as a personal airline and it is no wonder that the budget would need to be increased.
Why did he need 500 people with him? Why was it necessary to take resources away from our war fighters in order to send him and this huge contingent to Europe?
For you liberals who make claims about the military budget and how Obama is so supportive, keep this in mind before you make any claims:
One official said the problem was not only the vehicles and helicopters that were needed for presidential security, but also the unusually large number of people traveling with the president. The official said U.S. taxpayers are paying twice for airlift, once for Air Force jets that are not available for a war zone and again for foreign contractor aircraft that are. [emphasis mine]
No wonder Obama would need to increase the military budget. Taxpayers now have to pay two times for the Air Force to accomplish its mission.
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Tags: air force, defense budget, europe, Military, Obama, waste
Around The Horn
Mar 11, 2009 Political
Oh no, the North Koreans are on alert
Looks like the North Koreans have their Commie panties in a wad because the US and South Korea are going to be involved in joint military training exercises. These exercises have taken place in the past but now the NORKS are on high alert and worried about being attacked. Perhaps they are a little uneasy because the Navy indicated it was ready to shoot down the NORK missile (satellite) if it appeared threatening. Maybe this is the test Biden warned about…
The NORKS have shut off communications with the UN and the million or so members of the military are on high alert.
The Plan: The US and South Korea should find a way to extend the training exercise for a month or so. The North Koreans have no fuel for their planes and it is assumed the same is true for their land based vehicles. They are dirt poor and a month of spending on military alert could probably push them over the edge. We could put an end to them without firing a shot. [Breitbart]
Botox Airlines
After 9/11 the president decided that the Speaker of the House should use a military aircraft to travel from DC to the home district, if one was available. Nancy Pelosi has extended that to mean the US Air Force is her personal air taxi service. Pelosi requests a bigger plane with a few more luxuries. When one is not available she gets upset and evidently her aide in charge of booking them wants the Air Force to explain why the wicked witch of the west does not have a plane.
The key is the phrase “when available.” If one is not available then Pelosi does not get one. It is quite simple. But it is tough because she has the Air Force ferry her and her family all over the place.
She said she required a bigger plane so that she would not have to stop for fuel on the way home. I suggest a long range bomber. They will fly for a long time and they could put Pelosi’s seat right above the bomb bay doors…[Fox News]
Who is Arlen Specter trying to fool?
Senator Arlen Specter is worried about losing his seat in the next election. The fact that he is still in office is one of the things I hold against George Bush. Bush campaigned for him and helped him win when he should have been booted out. Specter is a RINO and sides with the Democrats rather than his own party. He was one of only 3 Republicans to vote for the TRILLION dollar stimulus bill. He needs to go.
He knows that his name is mud and he is starting early in his reelection bid. In an interview he chastised Michael Steele for apologizing to Rush Limbaugh and then claimed that he [Specter] was trying to lead the Republican party. He said that he was trying to lead from the middle where the American people want to be led from. Specter also took a shot at his likely opponent.
This man is a moron. Americans do not want to be led from the center. Conservatives want to be led by people who hold conservative values. This half baked retard has not figured out that the reason that Democrats won was because Republicans became too much like them. Some Republican voters figured if they were going to have liberal policies they might as well vote for liberals and others just stayed home.
We cannot win by trying to be like them. Perhaps Specter has not seen the light yet but Republicans rejected that idea.
Specter is NO leader. There is a saying that you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink it.
Specter couldn’t even lead the horse to the water.
The people of Pennsylvania need to get rid of this moron in the next election. [WILK]
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Tags: air force, biden, Democrats, north korea, Obama, Pelosi, Republicans, specter