Entries Tagged as 'deployment'

I’m just saying…

This was pointed out to me by someone who read my good news thread on another site. If you happen to visit icasualties.org and carefully look at the stats for US deaths based on hostile/non-hostile reasons you will note the following:

We have not had one loss due to hostile reasons since June 26! We are on our 11th day with no combat related deaths! Why isn’t the media celebrating this fact? Why are we not screaming this good news from the roof tops? Well, I have my suspicions, but regardless I want to spread the good news where I can.

11-days without one combat related death!

Good work US and Coalition Forces!

Land Warrior Wearable War-Smartphone

Ok, so maybe all of that interest in video games and text messaging really does have its vicarious benefits.

Land Warrior wearable war-smartphone survives Iraq baptism

Published Wednesday 2nd July 2008 11:02 GMT
EXCERPT

The world’s first unit of digitally networked foot soldiers returns from combat in Iraq this week. Reports have it that the American troops’ controversial “Land Warrior” wearable-node technology has changed in both role and configuration during its 15-month baptism of fire. Indications are that the equipment - slated for disposal by army chiefs just last year - has done well enough that it will now live on. [Read more →]

Official Welcome Home for the Dragoon Raider brigade!

I didn’t realize that it was a 4th BCT soldier who won the new Jeep Liberty from Operation Gratitude! Wow! Congratulations to Spc. Gallagher, and to all of the Dragoon Raider Brigade. A special welcome home to my wonderful son who is a soldier in this Brigade. It’s wonderful to know their colors are uncased and they are home from their mission!

4th Stryker BCT to uncase colors at Fort Lewis

Staff report
Posted : Tuesday Jul 1, 2008 13:04:10 EDT

Soldiers from 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, will be welcomed home during a ceremony Tuesday at Fort Lewis, Wash.

The brigade, known as the Dragoon Raider brigade, was deployed from April 2007 through June 2008.

During the ceremony, the brigade will uncase its colors to signify the completion of its deployment and its return to Fort Lewis. Silver Star awards will be presented to several soldiers during the awards portion of the ceremony.

Prior to the ceremony, representatives from Operation Gratitude and Chrysler will present a 2008 Jeep Liberty to Spc. Michael Gallagher, who received the keys to the sport utility vehicle in Operation Gratitude’s 300,000th care package while he was deployed.

Gallagher designed a mural for the SUV to honor fallen soldiers from his unit, and the customized SUV will be unveiled during the presentation.

The story of two battlefields

A private battle made public

Veteran hopes account of war, PTSD struggle helps other troops

By Sean D. Naylor - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Jun 25, 2008 12:18:11 EDT

(excerpt)

After surviving one of the most vicious firefights in the war in Afghanistan, Capt. Nate Self knew he had to write about it.

Self led a Ranger platoon in a daylong battle on Takur Ghar mountain that claimed the lives of seven U.S. servicemen on March 4, 2002. [Read more →]

A Mother’s War

I thought you all might enjoy this Sestina written by a military mom. Have a wonderful weekend, and check back for your dose of good news from Iraq. [Read more →]

The Final Purge and a Jackass of the Day Award

So that I do not dwell on this any further, I feel the need to do a “final purge” of the happenings the past few days on this blog. Some of you know of the huge dump that the Washington Post’s blog “IntelDump” took on my blog the other day. We were an easy target for the blog author Phillip Carter, so we were thrown under the bus and he got noticed. Nice, eh? The funny thing is, Carter claimed in his article that the real issue at hand was the fact that “Stand To” linked to an article that was clearly an anti-Obama piece, but the problem is he did not really make that the focus of the entry. He quotes and talks more about our blog and what Mr. H! wrote. He even made sure to purposely inflame his readership by linking us with Limbaugh and Fox News (accusing us of only using these two as sources of information). He set it up. He forgot to reiterate to his readership that the real issue at hand was the military, not us. Convienent, no?

I got thousands of hits that day from Washington Post and several other sources that had linked to his article. I went to Washington Post and posted on the comment thread twice. I was respectful both times, but I would like my readers to read a couple of comments left on Phillip Carter’s blog for me. These were lifted verbatim, copied and pasted. I refuse to link to his blog, so if you want the source just Google his name and the name of his blog.

may be your son who is on duty in Iraq,, should come in a box,, or some of his limbs blown away,,, or come home with mental problems and are the govt is slow to give proper medical treatment,, then your eyes will be wide open,, isn’t it,,

Posted by: mugambo | June 12, 2008 5:56 PM

…………………………..

I hope that former army officers’s son doesn’t ever come home

Posted by: madashell | June 12, 2008 9:51 PM

……………………………

Thank God that Carter reads and pays about as close attention as his readers do. My son is already home, safe and sound. The crap-weasels who wrote those comments did so believing my son is still in Iraq (because Carter stated so). Aren’t they nice. Aren’t they oh so loving and progressive?

WaPo’s commenting policy states that “… User reviews and comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site.”

If I follow Carter’s own assertion to its logical conclusion (that linking to something equates endorsement), then I am left to draw one conclusion about his leaving (or linking if you will) comments on his blog that wishes the death of a deployed soldier: The Washington Post and Phillip Carter endorse the wishing death on a deployed soldier and stating such to his parents. If they did not think it was acceptable they would have removed it. As it stands now I really could give a rat’s behind what they do — they can remove it to try and save face, but I don’t think they care. I am sure they support our troops though, right?

I have received emails telling me that I should be dead, that my family should be dead (they are clever enough to not say that they want to kill me, so charges can’t be brought … but duh, it’s obviously a death threat). I have been called a Nazi.

The Nazi comments crack me up. I have never once in my entire life ever tried to silence another American Citizen by threat or intimdation, and yet the amoral asses who write those emails have the audacity to call ME the Nazi! Is that not the most delicious irony you have ever tasted in your life? I exercise my right to free speech, I am threatened and intimidated by fellow citizens because of it, and somehow I am the Nazi? Wow. This right here shows you the mentality I have been up against for the past couple of days.

I have deleted a lot of comments left here on my blog. I immediately came to KDIH once I realized I had been linked to and was a target for flaming, and got rid of my “about the author” page and put the comments on moderation. They will have to remain on moderation for a while. I am going to register my regular readers (those who comment frequently that I know) and erase the rest of the registered readers. You will have to register to comment at will and be approved to do so. All others will go through moderation until I am ready to register them. It’s a safe guard. I do a lot of work from home, I take care of a family, and I am dealing with some very painful orthopedic problems right now — I don’t have time to babysit my blog.

This was never an issue before in the past year that I have been writing, but thanks to Carter it is now. Which leaves me no other option than to award him the Knee Deep in the Hooah!’s official, prestigious “Jackass of the Day Award.”

Mr. Carter earned this award, not for exercising his right to free speech, but because of the unwarranted, unnecessary “bitch slap” we got from him and his readers for exercising our right to free speech. He also earned it for leaving comments on his blog wishing my son death, dismemberment or mental problems, and in doing so indirectly supporting that kind of speech to military members and their families.

So, here’s to you Phillip Carter (aka Mr.Ex-MP, Mr. Ex-Civil Affairs guy, and Mr. I’m all for the Vets.) Here’s to you.

The Caregiver’s Pitfall

I received an email that had me reminiscing about how I had prepared for Mike’s deployment and Bryan’s time in Tradoc last year. I am still having a hard time adjusting to the fact that we are on the other side of all of the time away and time in Iraq. When I think back to that time I often feel an increase in the speed of my heart rate and I can feel a small amount of the time warp I lived in for that year — and in particular that six months with both guys gone at the same time. [Read more →]

Haditha Marines Update

Since the MSM is not going to shout it out from the roof tops I think it’s important for bloggers to spread the news. Another Haditha Marine has been acquitted. Innocent until proven guilty? Not if you are a Marine in the path of the MSM and Murtha. I would love to see a formal apology, but you know it will never happen.

Read MORE about the acquittal of Lt. Andrew Grayson.