Military

I spent two and a half weeks at the Warrior Lead Course in Fort Lewis, Washington. I wish I could say I had a great time but, it was fairly typical Army training. Kind of a Basic Training Part II. It is a requirement for me to get promoted to E-6. Now I have it … Read more

SGT Smith… Originally uploaded by smittie

The Military Times reads my blog. They see the pattern too. They dug back even further to point out some events that I failed to mention but the main point is the same. Smittie read more | digg story

“This too shall pass.” I suspect that is what the Army’s senior leadership lives by whenever another public relations disaster hits. In February 2007 we learned about the living conditions of wounded soldiers in Build 18 and Walter Reed Medical Center. Just recently we learned of soldiers returning from an 15 month tour in Afghanistan … Read more

“Folks, we let our soldiers down; that is not like us,” Brig. Gen. Dennis Rogers, the deputy director of Operations & Facilities of Army Installation Command, told reporters. “There is no good excuse for what happened.” While the walk-through is not yet complete, Rogers said that garrison commanders have reported so far that “soldiers are … Read more

This CNN article (read more | digg story) says that Fort Bragg is addressing the deplorable conditions of the barracks that the 82nd Airborne lives in after a video depicting these conditions was posted to YouTube. This is a continuation of an established pattern by which the Army hides institutionalized behavior. When Building 18 at … Read more

Conditions in a barracks at Fort Bragg, North Carolina ( read more | digg story ) Building 18, Walter Reed Army Medical Center All soldiers are entitled to outstanding leadership; I will provide that leadership. I know my soldiers and I will always place their needs above my own. from The NCO Creed I wrote … Read more

20 year old Private First Class Keith Matthew Maupin was captured on April 9, 2004 during an ambush on a convoy in which he was driving a supply truck. I was serving my first tour in Operation Iraqi Freedom. I have thought of and prayed for Staff Sergeant Maupin often since then. Always hoping against … Read more

Surprise, surprise, surprise. The Marine Corps has ordered Franz J. Gayl to stop his research into the decision to not deliver MRAP vehicles that commanders on the ground in Iraq said were required in order to better protect Marines from the very effective IEDs being used by insurgents. read more | digg story

Back in August I mentioned that the decision to not supply MRAP vehicles to troops in Iraq would translation into dead soldiers. Now, some one is attempting to document the fact that Marines have died and been injured as a result of that decision. read more | digg story In related news, the Department of … Read more