A Family's Grief, The Patriot Guard, And A "Thank You"

Join the Patriot Guard. Membership is free and you don't need to have a motorcycle:

The Patriot Guard Riders is a diverse amalgamation of riders from across the nation. We have one thing in common besides motorcycles. We have an unwavering respect for those who risk their very lives for America’s freedom and security. If you share this respect, please join us.

Visit http://www.patriotguard.org/ to find out what you can do to help honor those who paid the ultimate price.

(Cross-posted at The Jawa Report)

A Tribute To Valor

The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.
~G. K. Chesterton

AllahSHakchew did a great tribute to the military earlier. This is my contribution.

(In alphabetical order)

Air Force


Army


Marines


Navy


(Cross-posted at The Jawa Report)

Get Some

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How does that deter terrorism? Click on over to Silver Bullet Gun Oil to find out.

UPDATE: You can help our soldiers deter terrorism by donating HERE.

(Cross-posted at SnappedShot.com and Avid Editor's Insights)

Take Time To Remember

As you enjoy the day today, please take a moment to remember those who gave their lives to keep us free and safe.

If you are able,
save them a place
inside of you
and save one backward glance
when you are leaving
for the places they can
no longer go.

Be not ashamed to say
you loved them,
though you may
or may not have always.

Take what they have left
and what they have taught you
with their dying
and keep it with your own.

And in that time
when men decide and feel safe
to call the war insane,
take one moment to embrace
those gentle heroes
you left behind.

Major Michael Davis O'Donnell
1 January 1970
Dak To, Vietnam

(Cross-posted at SnappedShot.com and Avid Editor's Insights)

Well Said, Lt. Colonel!

Transcript:

"Let me say this... and I don't care about being popular or whatever. First thing you have to do is study and understand who you are up against.And you must realize that this is not a religion you are fighting against. You are fighting against a theopolitical belief system and construct. You're fighting against something that's been doing this thing since 622 a.d. - the 7th century - 1388 years...

You want to dig up Charles Martel and ask him why him why he was fighting the Muslim army at the Battle of Tours in 732? You want to ask the Venetian fleet at Lepanto why they were fighting a Muslim fleet in 1571? You want to ask…the Germanic and Austrian knights why they were fighting at the gates of Vienna in 1683? You want to ask people what happened at Constantinople and why today it is called Istanbul because they lost that fight in 1453?

You need to get into the Koran and understand their precepts, you need to read the Sira, you need to read the Hadiths. This is not a perversion. They are doing exactly what this book says."

And Col. West reminds us of what should be self-evident, contra the willfully blind, delusional apologetics embraced by our current political and military leadership:

"Until you get principled leadership in the United States of America that is willing to say that, we will continue to chase our tail, because we will never clearly define who this enemy is, and then understand their goals and objectives—which (are) on any jihadist website—and then come up with the right (and) proper objectives to not only secure our Republic but secure Western civilization."

Lt. Col. West is running for Florida's 22nd Congressional district. Support him!

(Hat Tip: Atlas Shrugs)

Sweet, Sweet War Porn

The party starts in 2 minutes...

(Hat Tip: Jawa Report)

Military Rules For Non-Military Personnel

These rules are from Fort Liberty Blog:

Dear Civilians,

We know that the current state of affairs in our great nation have many civilians up in arms and excited to join the military. For those of you who can't join, you can still lend a hand. Here are a few of the areas we would like your assistance with:

1. The next time you see an adult talking during the playing of the National Anthem .... kick their ass.
   
   
2. When you witness first hand someone burning the American Flag in protest .... kick their ass.
   
   
3. Regardless of the rank they held while they served, pay the highest amount of respect to all veterans. If you see someone doing otherwise quietly pull them aside and explain how these Veterans fought for the very freedom they bask in every second. Enlighten them on the many sacrifices these veterans made to make this Nation great. Then hold them down while a Disabled Veteran kicks their ass.
   
   
4. If you were never in the military, DO NOT pretend that you were. Wearing battle dress uniforms (BDU's), telling others that you used to be Special Forces and collecting GI Joe memorabilia, might have been okay if you were still seven. Now, it will only make you look stupid and get your ass kicked.
   
   
5. If you witness someone calling an enlisted Marine "Sir", stand back .... a Marine will kick their ass.
   
   
6. Next time you come across an Air Force member, do not ask them, "Do you fly a jet?". Not everyone in the Air Force is a pilot. Such ignorance deserves an ass kicking (children are exempt).
   
   
7. Roseanne Barr's singing the National Anthem is not a blooper .... it is a disgrace and disrespectful. Laugh, and sooner or later your ass will be kicked.
   
   
8. Next time Old Glory prances by during a parade, get on your damn feet and pay homage to her by placing your hand over your heart. Quietly thank the military member or veteran lucky enough to be carrying her .... of course, failure to do either of these could earn you a severe ass kicking.
   
   
9. What Jane Fonda did during the Vietnam War makes her the enemy. The proper word to describe her is traitor. Just mention her nomination for Woman of the Year, and get your ass kicked.
   
   
10. Do not try to discuss politics with a military member or a veteran. We are Americans and we all bleed the same regardless of our part of affiliation. Our Chain of Command, is to include our Commander-in-Chief. The President (for those who didn't know) is our CIC regardless of political party. We have no inside track on what happens inside those big important buildings where all those representatives meet. All we know is that when those civilian representatives screw up the situation, they call on the military to go straighten it out. The military member might direct you to Oliver North. (I can see him kicking your ass already.)
    
    
11. "Your Mama wears combat boots" never made sense to me .... stop saying it! If she did, she would most likely be a vet and probably kick your ass!
    
    
12. Bin Laden and the Taliban are not Communists, so stop saying "Let's go kill those Commies!!! And stop asking us where he is!!!! Crystal balls are not standard issue in the military. That reminds me .... if you see anyone calling those damn psychic phone numbers; let me know, so I can go kick their ass.
    
    
13. Bus Driver, Jar Head, Grunt, Swabbie, Squid, etc., are terms of endearment we use describing each other. Unless you are a service member or vet, you have not earned the right to use them and could get your ass kicked.
    
    
14. Last but not least, whether or not you become a member of the military, support our troops and their families. Every Thanksgiving and religious holiday that you enjoy with your family and friends please remember that there are literally thousands of troops overseas wishing they could be with their families.
    
    
15. Thank God for our military and the sacrifices they make every day. Without them, our country would get its ass kicked.

If you enjoyed Military Rules for Non-Military Personnel, be sure to check out our entire archive of Patriotic Humor.

A Blogger's Last Post

Given to a friend, Andrew Olmsted asked that this be posted only after his death. Read the entire final post of an American Hero.

Excerpt:

As passionate as I am about personal freedom, I don't buy the claims of anarchists that humanity would be just fine without any government at all. There are too many people in the world who believe that they know best how people should live their lives, and many of them are more than willing to use force to impose those beliefs on others. A world without government simply wouldn't last very long; as soon as it was established, strongmen would immediately spring up to establish their fiefdoms. So there is a need for government to protect the people's rights. And one of the fundamental tools to do that is an army that can prevent outside agencies from imposing their rules on a society. A lot of people will protest that argument by noting that the people we are fighting in Iraq are unlikely to threaten the rights of the average American. That's certainly true; while our enemies would certainly like to wreak great levels of havoc on our society, the fact is they're not likely to succeed. But that doesn't mean there isn't still a need for an army (setting aside debates regarding whether ours is the right size at the moment). Americans are fortunate that we don't have to worry too much about people coming to try and overthrow us, but part of the reason we don't have to worry about that is because we have an army that is stopping anyone who would try.

Andrew Olmsted Blog

There are many grand quotes in Andrew's final post, but I leave you with this one:

"It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived. "
~George S. Patton

UPDATE: The mainstream media has picked up the story about Andrew.

R.I.P. Major Andrew Olmsted.

Hope Rides Alone

(Hat Tip: AFLACK)

Some last words of a soldier who died in Iraq. SGT. Edmund John Jeffers wrote this article as an appeal for support for our brave troops who daily face the destructiveness and devastations of war.

Excerpt from "Hope Rides Alone":

The enemy slinks in the shadows and fights a coward's war against us. It is effective though, as many men and women have died since the start of this war. And the memory of their service to America is tainted by the inconsiderate remarks on our nation's news outlets. And every day, the enemy changes... only now, the enemy is becoming something new. The enemy is transitioning from the Muslim extremists to Americans. The enemy is becoming the very people whom we defend with our lives. And they do not realize it. But in denouncing our actions, denouncing our leaders, denouncing the war we live and fight, they are isolating the military from society...and they are becoming our enemy.

Read the entire letter at This War and Me: In Honor of Sgt. Jeffers.

Honoring Our Veterans, Past & Present

Veteran's Day, November 11, 2007

Military PDF Resources

(Hat Tip: RMP)

To my knowledge, all the following .pdfs are available for free download.

(To save, right-click and select "Save As...")

Sun Tzu said: "The art of war is of vital importance to the state. It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence, it is the subject of inquiry which can in no account be neglected."

The Art of War, by Sun Tzu (with notes)

The Art of War, by Sun Tzu (concise version)

---

Provided by U.S. Army Sustainment Command:

FM 27-10: The Law of Land Warfare
Department of the Army Field Manual

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Provided by the International Association of Chiefs of Police:

After recent acts of terrorism in London, two Training Keys published by the IACP on Suicide Bombers are being provided to law enforcement at no charge.

Part I discusses the profiles of suicide bombers, including their characteristics and beliefs behind committing these acts.

IACP Training Key #581 Suicide Bombers Part I

Part II explains how law enforcement and other first responders should react to these incidents.

IACP Training Key #582 Suicide Bombers Part II

Pictures of Soldiers Banned From U.S. Post Office

(Hat Tip: MELAMPUS)

A United States Post Office has removed a community display used to post pictures of U.S. troops. The Post Office decided that, after one customer complaint, it doesn't want to appear "pro-war." From WorldNet Daily:

Members of the U.S. military have been vilified for their service and have faced criminal charges for battlefield decisions and congressional accusations of rampant "hate crimes." Now a California post office also has banned photographs of local soldiers who are defending their country.

"It's an emotional issue and people look at their post office as a hub of the community, but the post office is there to do postal business and it's not a place to post things or make displays,” postal spokesman Richard Maher told the San Luis Obispo Tribune.

The newspaper reported that "a customer" had complained that the display, which over the years has featured dozens of photos of troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, including many whose relatives use the Paso Robles Post Office, was pro-war.

The "complaint" made its way to the regional post center, where officials asked Paso Robles postmaster Mike Milby to remove them, for being in violation of a rule against displays of non-postal business material.

That's right. We mustn't have a United States governmental agency actually expressing support for the United States military...

U.S. Military Offering Bounties For Taliban Leaders

Civilians can receive up to $200,000 for information leading to the capture of Taliban and al-Qaida leaders:

BAGRAM, Afghanistan (AP) -- The U.S. military has launched a new "Most Wanted" campaign offering rewards of up to $200,000 for information leading to the capture of 12 Taliban and al-Qaida leaders.

Posters and billboards are being put up around eastern Afghanistan with the names and pictures of the 12, with reward amounts ranging from $20,000 to $200,000.

"We're trying to get more visibility on these guys like the FBI did with the mob," said Lt. Col. Rob Pollock, a U.S. officer at the main American base in Bagram. "They operate the same way the mob did, they stay in hiding."

The list does not include internationally known names who already have large price tags on their heads like al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden - who has evaded U.S. capture since 2001 despite a $25 million bounty - or Taliban leader Mullah Omar with a $10 million reward.

Instead the list is filled with local insurgent cell leaders responsible for roadside and suicide bomb attacks.

"We want the people in that area to know who this guy is and know he's a bad guy, and when they spot him to turn that guy in," said Maj. Chris Belcher, a U.S. spokesman.

The program, in the works for weeks, comes despite peace overtures from President Hamid Karzai, who on Sunday said he would be willing to meet with Omar if it would help bring peace.

The posters and billboards will be put up by Afghan soldiers and police in areas where the military suspects the men are operating, said Belcher. Some on the list are also suspected to operate in Pakistan's tribal regions, where the U.S. military does not have the authority to operate.

The U.S. says it has killed around 50 mostly mid-level insurgent leaders over the past year, a strategy the military is continuing to push with the Most Wanted rewards program.

TBO.com

Military Deaths Down In Iraq

U.S. Military Death Toll Down in Iraq:

BAGHDAD (AP) -- Sixty-three U.S. military deaths were reported in September, the lowest monthly toll since July 2006, according to U.S. forces and a preliminary count by The Associated Press.

A U.S. soldier was killed Sunday in a small-arms attack during combat operations in eastern Baghdad, the military said Monday. The soldier, whose name was withheld pending notification of relatives, was assigned to the Multi-National Division-Baghdad. In July 2006, 43 American soldiers were killed, according to an AP count.

"It's still too high," military spokesman Rear Admiral Mark Fox said of the deaths during a news conference. "But the trend is in the right direction."

The death raised to at least 3,804 members of the U.S. military who have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an AP count

TBO.com