Knee Deep in the Hooah!

I notice some bloggers do a Wordless Wednesday. I just can’t do a day without words. I am verbose (have any of you not figured that out yet!).

I am going to try adding a weekly picture anyway and see if it’s a nice addition. If you have any pictures you would like me to feature, feel free to email them to me.

For this Wednesday, I wanted to add this picture. I love this picture because of the way the soldier is postured in an empathetic way with the child. In social work “posturing” with your client is a sign of empathy and understanding. It puts people at ease.

Regard:

A soldier and an Iraqi child, regard one another.

Tags: Picture Perfect by Claire
4 Comments »

I don’t always post local news, but I wanted to post a local homecoming because of the wonderful news that this entire Company came home with no casualties at all! None in the entire Company. I know that is not a fact that the MSM will yell from the roof tops. It’s just more evidence of a safer Iraq, and I am praying that more and more Companies come home with the exact same news.

Tags: Good News (Iraq), Iraq, Posts by Claire, military, redeployment, reunification by Claire
2 Comments »

I don’t know much but I know I like it  …

Stolen from another blog; clicky here. (Washington, D.C.) On April 24th, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Gary Roughhead announced the re-establishment of the U.S. Fourth Fleet responsible for U.S. Navy ships, aircraft and submarines operating in the Caribbean, and Central and South America.

Former Navy SEAL, Rear Adm. Joseph D. Kernan, the current Commander of Naval Special Warfare, will be assigned as Commander, U.S. Fourth Fleet.

Kernan is the first Navy SEAL to command a numbered fleet.

 Maybe our resident retired Naval Officer would care to comment? Al? You there, Sir?

Tags: Mr. Hooah! Writes, Terrorism, military, politics by Mr_Hooah
2 Comments »

You won’t see this in your local newspaper:

Springtime in Islamberg
Radical Muslim paramilitary compound flourishes in upper New York state
By Paul L. Williams Ph.D., (author of THE DAY OF ISLAM)

With files from Douglas Hagmann, Northeast Intelligence Network,

(www.homelandsecurityus.com/Gilani) 2006 article: Pakistani terror Sheikh angry over investigative report

With the able assistance of Bill Krayer and Michael Travis

Friday, May 11, 2008
Situated within a dense forest at the foothills of the Catskill Mountains on the outskirts of Hancock, New York, Islamberg is not an ideal place for a summer vacation unless, of course, you are an exponent of the Jihad or a fan of Osama bin Laden.

The 70 acre complex is surrounded with “No trespassing” signs; the rocky terrain is infested with rattlesnakes; and the woods are home to black bears, coyotes, wolves, and a few bobcats.

The entrance to the community is at the bottom of a very steep hill that is difficult to navigate even on a bright sunny day in May. The road, dubbed Muslim Lane, is unpaved and marred by deep crevices that have been created by torrential downpours. On a wintry day, few, save those with all terrain vehicles, could venture forth from the remote encampment.

A sentry post has been established at the base of the hill.

The sentry, at the time of this visit, is an African American dressed in Islamic garb - - a skull cap, a prayer shawl, and a loose fitting shalwat kameez. He instructs us to turn around and leave. “Our community is not open to visitors,” he says.

 Want to read more? Click this.

Sadly, there is one of these right here in good ‘ol Tennessee. Reckin we ort ta bring ‘em a covered dish just to say “howdy” and “welcome to the neighborhood”?

Come on. We all knew there were Islamic training camps here in America. Don’t you think its about time we at least started admiting it?

After all, isn’t that the first step in recovery? Admission of a problem? Hummmm?

Mr.Hooah!, out.

Tags: Islam, Terrorism, politics by Mr_Hooah
4 Comments »

We have a returning theme this week. Last week many of the stories highlighted the accomplishments of the Iraqi Army, the SOI and the IP. Keep up the good work, guys!

Iraqi Troops capture mid-level AQI leader, six other suspects

BAGHDAD (May 4, 2008) –

Soldiers with the 5th Iraqi Army Division and a Muqdadiyah Special Weapons and Tactics team, advised by U.S. Special Forces, detained a mid-level al-Qaeda in Iraq leader and detained six other suspected terrorists in an operation in As Sa’diya, approximately 55 miles northeast of Baghdad, May 3. Read more…

……………..

‘Sisters’ are doing it for themselves

by Lance Cpl. Robert Medina 1st Marine Logistics Group

http://www.centcom.mil/en/press-releases/285.html

FALLUJAH, Iraq (May 8, 2008) – Marines on a female search team and Iraqi women with the “Sisters of Fallujah” program have been working together at an entry control point here to help make the city of Fallujah a safer place.

The program was formed because females were needed to search other females. In Islamic tradition, a man touching a woman who is not his wife is considered offensive.

Just like Iraqi security forces that have been assuming more responsibilities, Iraqi women are striving to do the same with the help of Marine FSTs.

“(The Sisters of Fallujah) are our eyes and ears inside the booth, where we cannot go,” said Sgt. William A. Lamascus, sergeant of the guard of ECP-1. “It helps to have them here because when they find things, they bring it to our attention.” Read more

[Read more →]

Tags: Army, Good News (Iraq), Iraq, Terrorism, Troop Surge, combat, deployment, military, politics, updates, war on terror by Claire
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Below is the article that is being published for a Mother’s Day special edition women’s magazine (I will post a link to the online version of the magazine when it becomes available.) Happy Mother’s Day!

………………

I am willing to bet that most folks believe there are no blessing to be found by the mother of a soldier during a time of war. I am of the mindset that there is something we are obligated to learn regardless of our circumstances. Suffering in this life is inevitable, but learning and growing is optional. What can a mother learn, or perhaps remember in a new light, about her soldier when he is at war? This is a good place to start if you are searching for blessings.

She may look through photo albums and compare his younger pictures to his most recent one. She may try and remember at exactly what point in his life did he become a soldier? I know the technical answer is after the successful completion of Basic Combat Training, but I mean when did his mind, heart and soul begin to realize that duty is a good thing, and protecting the innocent is a life that is worth living and a life worth giving? [Read more →]

Tags: Army, Army Mom Posts, Shack Pack news, deployment, family life, military, veterans by Claire
8 Comments »

The King of fright decided to pull a partial Kerry on us with the following statement (source link)

“The fact is if you can read, you can walk into a job later on. If you don’t, then you’ve got the Army, Iraq, I don’t know, something like that,”

I call it a partial Kerry because he did not stumble all over himself trying to apologize like Kerry. No, he has no intentions of backing down on what he said, even though his ASSumptions about military personnel are erroneously far from the facts. I know facts are not always important when you are writing fiction, but they matter a lot in the non-fiction world.

Take for example this little tid-bit from the Heritage Foundation’s research on the quality of recruits since the start of the war. See how it looks side to side with King’s statement about troops and literacy:

… in the most recent edition of Population Representation in the Military Services, the Department of Defense reported that the mean reading level of 2004 recruits is a full grade level higher than that of the comparable youth population. Fewer than 2 percent of wartime recruits have no high school creden­tials. Table 2 shows the breakdown for the educational attainment of the war­time recruit cohorts. The national high school graduation rate taken from the Census 2004 ACS is 79.8 percent.

[Read more →]

Tags: Crazy is as crazy does, Hollywood, Morale, anti-military, deployment, literacy, military, politics, veterans, war on terror by Claire
6 Comments »

I have finally been able to get the art work that Mike sent home scanned and into electronic format. The pictures contained in the album are works of art that the Iraqi children drew as a “thank you” to all of those who contributed to the Operation School School Supply drive last year.

My first inclination as an MSW with a background in children’s mental health was to look at the pictures with an evaluative eye. It won’t take you long to see the positive images that I picked up on right away. I see smiling sun shines, lots of color, and even rainbow colored helicopters.

I thoroughly enjoyed looking through their artwork and appreciating their talent. I will have Mr. Hooah! write a “Cliff Notes” version for you of Art History and Islam. It will help you better understand some of the perspectives in the drawings. Also, look for the picture with an Army vehicle (maybe a Humvee?) and a Stryker — on the same road with a Donkey Cart. Of course the sun is smiling in that picture too.

These pictures will be ready to ship to their rightful recipients in the next few days. [Read more →]

Tags: Army, Army Mom Posts, Art, Good News (Iraq), Iraq, Morale, Op. School Supply, Shack Pack news, Things I love, communication, deployment, pictures, updates by Claire
4 Comments »

"We are more than a color;
we are the embodiment of ovarian peace
and fallopian justice!" --Code Pink Motto

For months now the anti-war group known as “Code Pink” has been hard at work trying to force a Marines recruiting station in downtown Berkeley, CA, to move out of the area. “Actually we would like it if all of the military offices would shut their doors.” said Zeta Mandarin, a leader in the local group of Code Pink volunteers.

“We are more than volunteers” said Mandarin “We are she-warriors of peace and light, and we plan on shutting the military down by holding events like ‘Breastfeeding instead of bombing’ where we nurse our babies in front of the station.” Who would have thought that breasts could have such an impact on the world? The goddess is afoot, I tell you!”

While Mandarin and the other Code Pink “she-warriors” continue to picket, sing and nurse their babies, we searched the parameter of the scene outside the station to get local reactions on the events that has brought Berkeley to national attention and has even come to the point of threatening its federal funding. [Read more →]

Tags: Berkeley, Crazy is as crazy does, Funny, Jackass of the Day, Weird, anti-military, mental health, military, politics by Claire
6 Comments »

… a newt?

I got better.

Now Code Pink is calling on witches to come prepared to cast their spells on the Recruiting Center in Berkeley. Can they possibly scream “We are so irrelevant that we are willing to try any stunt to get attention no matter how stupid, idiotic or moronic it is!” any louder than that? [Read more →]

Tags: Berkeley, Crazy is as crazy does, Funny, Jackass of the Day, Weird, anti-military, military, politics by Claire
1 Comment »