Drexel University to Offer Free Education to Post-9/11 Military Veterans

PHILADELPHIA (June 30, 2009) Drexel University has committed $2 million to offer free education to an unlimited number of military veterans across all of the University’s full- and part time undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and professional programs, both on campus and online, as part of its participation in the new GI Bill’s Yellow Ribbon Program.

In the program, a partnership between the federal government and Drexel, the University will match the government’s contribution to the cost of an education allowing eligible veterans to attend Drexel with no out of pocket expenses. The federal government will pay up to the highest in-state school tuition, any remaining cost will be covered between the government and the University offering eligible service persons a free education.

Unlike other institutions participating in the new program, Drexel is among a small group of universities with no cap on the number of veterans who may enroll. The University’s contribution allows veterans who meet government and University admissions requirements to receive a completely free education at all of the University’s schools and colleges including the Drexel University College of Medicine, Earle Mack School of Law, Drexel at Burlington County College and the Sacramento Center for Graduate Studies.

The educational assistance in the new GI Bill, including the Yellow Ribbon Program, differs from the Montgomery GI Bill’s benefits by expanding the government’s financial commitment to educational assistance. The new program allows the government to pay each student’s costs directly to the University rather than requiring veterans to request a reimbursement, as in the original GI Bill. Other new educational benefits include monthly housing and textbook stipends.

“Drexel University will continue its long tradition of providing educational opportunities to military personnel, be it on one of our three campuses or in one of our 60-plus fully online degree programs” University Provost Mark Greenberg said.

“We are proud to be able to give back to those who have sacrificed so much to serve their country,” Greenberg added.

In addition to its 73 full-time undergraduate programs, 78 master's programs and 32 doctoral programs, Drexel offers comprehensive online undergraduate and graduate programs through Drexel Online (www.drexel.com).

Drexel Online, winner of the 21st Century Best Practice Award for Distance Learning from the United States Distance Learning Association, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Drexel University, specializing in innovative, Internet-based distance education programs for working professionals and corporations in the United States and abroad Online degree programs include engineering, teacher education, nursing, library science and business administration.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill, passed by Congress last year, is the most extensive educational assistance program authorized since the original GI Bill was signed into law in 1944. The Yellow Ribbon program was authorized by Congress under the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 and will take effect August 1, 2009.

The Department of Veterans Affairs expects 460,000 veterans to participate during the first year of the program. VA officials anticipate a 20 to 25 percent increase in the total number of applications for veteran’s educational programs.

According to the VA, eligible veterans include those who served an aggregate period of active duty after Sept. 10, 2001, of at least 36 months or were honorably discharged from active duty for a service-connected disability and served 30 continuous days after Sept. 10, 2001.

For information on the new GI Bill and specific benefit questions contact the Department of Veterans Affairs at 1-888-GIBILL-1

For more information about Drexel’s on campus programs contact Drexel University at 800-2-DREXEL or enroll@drexel.edu or visit our website at www.drexel.edu

For more information about Drexel’s online degree programs contact Drexel Online at 877-215-0009 or info@drexel.com.

For more information about using your military benefits to fund a Drexel education contact Jeffrey Linskens, associate director, Student Resource Center, at 215-895-6413 or jeffery.r.linskens@drexel.edu

More information can be found at http://www.drexel.edu/financialaid/yellowribbon

--Chuck

My Fort Fisher, NC vacation

So I'm at the beach hotel in NC, with the family and dog, and I meet our neighbor. Yes, that's a dude. Yes, that's a wedding dress.

Me: hee hee giggle snort. "What, did you lose a bet?"

Him: (or is it hym?) (perturbed) "No, I am going to my wedding."

Me: giggle giggle snort giggle cough wheeze snort.

"Okay, well try not to suck any dicks in the parking lot. No really,
I'm cool with it. Ya'll have just as much right to be miserable as
the rest of us. Mazeltov!"

Sent from my pda/phone/crackberry/electro-leash, so please excuse
typos, grammar, vulgarity, random strings of characters, etc.

--Chuck

oderint dum metuant
Let them hate us, so long as they fear us
Μολὼν λάβε--come and get it

Michael who?

The live broadcast is on now (6/25 4pm - midnight ET) and they're talking about real heroes.

Happy Alive Day Chuck

Today is Chuck's Alive Day. I wanted to send a thank you note to some people because if it weren't for you, my life would be missing some people who have become very important to me. (And I will forget people. What can I say, I drink.)

• CPT Jason Spencer and Chuck's Iraqi Army soldiers who got Chuck out of the canal
• The medics, doctors, and nurses who treated him in Iraq, Germany and Walter Reed
• The Soldiers' Angel who was there in Germany when Chuck woke up
• The bloggers that sounded the alarm that Chuck was wounded and spiritual warfare was needed
• Patti & Soldiers' Angels (probably no need to elaborate this one)
• The anonymous commenter who donated the money to get Chuck his first copy of Dragonsoft
• Chuck's blog followers who sent cards letters and comments that kept him going
• Dragonsoft, for having software that could do what Chuck needed (I needed it for a while too once, so thanks from me too.)
• Everyone who has kept Project Valour IT going since its inception

To Carren, thank you for being a rock and letting me be like part of the family.

And Chuck... well, all I can say is can you send a firemen calendar next Christmas? And Happy Father's Day.

~~Code Monkey

Other people sending good wishes/linking:

Villainous Company

The Greyhawks

Trying to Grok

Soldiers' Angels Germany

Achmed & Salim

Father's Day Gift Advice

What happens when penguins die?

Did you ever wonder why there are no dead penguins on the ice in Antarctica - where do they go?

Wonder no more.
It is a known fact that the penguin is a very ritualistic bird which lives an extremely ordered and complex life.
The penguin is very committed to its family and will mate for life, as well as maintaining a form of compassionate contact with its offspring throughout its life.
If a penguin is found dead on the ice surface, other members of the family and social circle have been known to dig holes in the ice, using their vestigial wings and beaks, until the hole is deep enough for the dead bird to be rolled into and buried.



The male penguins then gather in a circle around the fresh grave and sing: 'Freeze A Jolly Good Fellow.'

What we should do about Iran

One of the cooler things about my resume is that as a major, I was assigned a functional area to work in. My functional area is FA 59--strategic plans and policy.

By its nature, strategy is more demanding of the intellect and imagination than most other military and policy competencies. Strategists must possess highly developed analytical and problem solving skills to rapidly conceptualize and develop creative feasible solutions to complex strategic challenges. Further, they must succinctly convey complicated conceptual or analytical material in a manner that is clearly understood by decision makers.

Army strategists combine excellence in military planning and policy development with broad, liberal education backgrounds. Most Army strategists embrace life–long learning and possess graduate degrees in strategy–related fields (History, International Relations, National Security, Public Affairs, Foreign Policy, and Regional Studies). Their unique skills and operational experiences enable strategists to diagnose complex issues, develop viable strategies, lead execution, and assess effectiveness. To prepare our officers for this challenge, FA59 offers a diverse and rich variety of military, civilian, and fellowship education opportunities.

For some reason, big Army thought I fit in with this bunch of characters. I've never worked in the "strategery" field, but I reckon I'm either smart or lucky, or maybe both, and that always seems to come in handy.

So I am going to apply my experience, as well as my knowledge of collapsing regimes and revolutions throughout history, and explain what I think we, as a nation should do.

1. Iraq needs stability, and often revolutions next door to a nation tend to destabilize that stability. It's hard to say whether our intervention in Iraq has led to the wellspring of popular revolution ("look at the Iraqis, they hold real elections") or whether it is a function of the people realizing the gummint can't mobilize to defend their borders and crush an internal revolt.

It is in our best interests to see Iraq stable and Iran in chaos until the people hang their current mullahocracy. To facilitate that, I think it would be best if we encouraged the Iraqi government to fully focus on internal security (rooting out terrorists) and covering their northern, southern, and western borders. We should put the majority of our forces patrolling along the Iran/Iraq border, monitoring a demilitarized zone, to ensure the Iranians don't do anything stupid--like invade to distract their people.

2. As for helping the Iranian people, we must not repeat the errors we made in Hungary in the 1950s, when we sat idly by and let the soviets crush the people who resisted their communist masters. Having the military massed along the Western Iranian border, as well as pushing a few brigades to Afghanistan to mass on their easten border, would allow us to pour in support if the people do manage to overthrow the regime, and ask us for help defending their new freedom.

3. At the point that the people have overthrown their government, and call on us for help, we go in--with an agreement that we will be there no longer than one year. We will help the new government get established, open dialogs with its neighbors, and support its recognition by the UN. Under the terms of our agreement, there will be no genocide of the opposition (with the exception of Mahmood and the clerics on the supreme council.)

4. If this revolution really takes hold, we need a coalition effort, led by us, and aided by the Brits, the Germans, the French, the Russians, and the Chinese (gee, looks like the security council) to seize any and all nuclear facilities in Iran. We will move all fissionable material out of the country for safekeeping. Any material that can't be transferred will be destroyed in place... evewn if that means destroying the entire facility. Revolution in a nuclear capable country is a scary thing, especially with a nutjob tyrant running the current government. After the seizure of material, the coalition exits the country, allowing them to continue sort shit out on their own.

5. If it comes to armed revolution, we don't send in teams of "advisors" to assist the people. Instead, we train dissidents and people who leave Iran as refugees to return and overthrow their gummint. We arm and equip them, and send them forth to raise their armies. If needed, we can assist in supplying the revolution with equipment, arms, and other materiel support.

6. This is the limit of what we should do in Iran. If the revolution succeeds, we have a new, stable Iran, a country established by people who've thrown off the bonds of repression. The new government would not be seen as an American puppet regime. We will have shown restraint and shown our willingness to help at the same time. We will have saved our treasure (or at least limited its spending) to a much smaller amount than an invasion would cost. The man in the street would not ever see us as invaders, conquerors, or oppressors, but just as people who are helping his country at the request of his new governemnt. We can look to establishing trade and open communication with that gummint. We can become trade partners with them, and also use the Iraqi neutrality as a positive means of seeing those to nations to peaceful cooperation. Opening up the Iranian oil market would also take a large burden off of us, as we wouldn't have to have our president bow down to saudi kings as much.

Just some thoughts on Iran. If this plan fails, plan "b" involves releasing me there with a full bag of meds, a bowie knife, a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle, a rifle and as much ammo as I can carry, and a radio to call in air support. The whole mess will be cleared up in a few days, but we'll need a berlin-airlift of body bags.

--Chuck

Don't worry, new posts are coming

Until then, enjoy.

contest giving away thousands in technology prizes to military families

AllAmericanDirect.com announces second contest giving away thousands in technology prizes to military families

Leading e-tailer hosting Laptops for Flat Tops contest for military families to improve communication with loved ones serving overseas

INDIANAPOLIS – (June 1, 2009) – AllAmericanDirect.com, a leading e-commerce provider of consumer electronics and satellite services, today announces the company’s second Laptops for Flat Tops contest, which will award one laptop with an embedded Webcam(for the family) and an additional Webcam (for the soldier) to two families who have an immediate family member serving in any branch of the U.S. military overseas.

This contest arrives on the heels of April’s successful Laptops for Flattops contest, with a new twist to the submission process. June’s contest now accepts video submissions. Participants can either submit a 400 word essay or a one minute video that explains why their family deserves to win, and how a laptop can improve their lives and communication with their loved one serving overseas. Families must be able to verify their loved one’s military enlistment.

Videos can be submitted by going to www.youtube.com/group/laptopsforflattops, joining the Laptops for Flat Tops group and uploading a one minute video. At the beginning of each video, participants should state their name, city, state, email address and telephone number.

“After hearing all the compelling stories from military families that participated in our first contest, we have become even more passionate about helping to provide more interactive means of communication for soldiers overseas,” said Mike Mountford, CEO of AllAmericanDirect.com.

Entries for the contest can be submitted as early as 12:00 AM EDT (24:00 GMT) on Monday, June 1 via allamericandirect.com/military for essay submissions and via www.youtube.com/group/laptopsforflattops for video submissions. The contest closes at 11:59 PM EDT (15:59 GMT) on Friday, July 3.

Judging will be done by a panel of three judges including: Col. (Ret.) Dale A. Kissinger, partner at MilitaryAvenue.com and a colonel (retired) in the U.S. Air Force, Mr. Scott Davis, an Air Force veteran of Operation Desert Storm and father of Army PFC Sean Davis, who is stationed in Vicenza, Italy, and is preparing for his second tour of duty in Afghanistan, and Ms. Jenna Richards, the sister of Capt. Phillip Richards and his wife Capt. Michelle Richards who are active in the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division and will be deployed to Iraq for their second tour of duty in September 2009.

Winners of the first contest will be announced on Monday, July 13. Families may re-submit a new essay for each bi-monthly contest if they were not previously selected. The contest will continue every other month through December 2009.

To learn more about Laptops for Flattops, visit http://www.allamericandirect.com/military. Further information on AllAmericanDirect.com’s products and services is available online at http://www.allamericandirect.com/?pr.

Beer and Pizza on 4/7 for Independence Day

As a homebrewer , I pale at the thought of drinking most domestic beers. Just don't care for them any more, as they are as devoid of flavor and character as Melba toast and Styrofoam. That said, this Independence day (I refuse to call it by it's calendar date, as I believe we should celebrate the day the limeys surrendered, rather than the day we signed a document) I will celebrate with the troops by supporting these two corporations, who've made a huge donation to the morale of our fighting men and women. I'll either visit a local Uno's Pizzeria, or if non is closeby, I'll find them in the freezer section. I'll even buy and drink Miller/Coors products (I find Coors' Banquet beer tolerable, and Carren likes MGD). I hope that you consider supporting these businesses likewise.

--Chuck

MillerCoors Donates 8,000 Cases of Beer as Part of Pizzas 4 Patriots Program; Troops Will Enjoy a Special Holiday Treat

CHICAGO, June 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Geography enthusiasts take note - Golden, Colorado and Milwaukee, Wisconsin are temporarily being moved to the Middle East. For the second consecutive Fourth of July, Pizzas 4 Patriots, an organization dedicated to providing gifts from home to service men and women overseas, will be delivering pizzas to the troops in the Middle East. This year, however, there will be 8,000 cases of Miller Lite and Coors Light to wash it down, thanks to a donation being made by the brewer.

The full delivery of 28,000 Uno pizzas and 8,000 cases of beer is scheduled to leave the U.S. this week to arrive in Iraq in time for the troops to have an uplifting holiday.

This spring, MSgt. Mark Evans, USAF, Ret., began reaching out to secure corporate partners to ensure this year's delivery would be the organization's biggest to date. MillerCoors showed an immediate interest in participating.

"We are honored and excited to be a part of this wonderful program and applaud MSgt. Evans for his dedication to our Armed Forces," said Tom Cardella, eastern division president at MillerCoors. "And as a brewer of great beer, we look forward to seeing our brave troops overseas have an opportunity to relax for a few moments and enjoy a couple of cold ones."

On the Fourth of July last year, MSgt. Evans successfully delivered pizzas to troops serving in Iraq. Sparked by the success of that initial effort, he received permission from General David Petraeus, then Commanding General, Multi-National Force - Iraq, to repeat the delivery in February for the NFL championship game. Building on those two events, he is striving to make this Fourth of July party his biggest yet.

"Our goal is to give the troops some time to get their minds off the war, even if just for an hour, and enjoy a good, old fashioned American feast," said MSgt. Mark Evans, founder of Pizzas 4 Patriots. "And this year we are proud to announce that because of the kind contributions of our corporate partners, the vast majority of troops in Iraq will get to enjoy a few slices of pizza and some cold beer this Fourth of July."

MillerCoors is also involving employees in its efforts to honor the troops by holding events in several brewery communities. These events will inspire monetary support from employees and celebrate the company's beer donation with a symbolic beer truck send off, complete with motorcycle escort. Support from Uno, the inventor of Chicago's original deep dish pizza, and DHL Express have also made this year's Pizzas 4 Patriots delivery possible. Pizzas 4 Patriots welcomes contributions to cover the program's costs. For more information or to donate to the cause, please visit www.pizzas4patriots.com.

About MillerCoors

Built on a foundation of great beer brands and more than 288 years of brewing heritage, MillerCoors continues the commitment of its founders to brew the highest quality beers. MillerCoors is the second largest beer company in America, capturing nearly 30 percent of U.S. beer sales. Led by two of the best-selling beers in the industry, MillerCoors has a broad portfolio of highly complementary brands across every major industry segment. Miller Lite is the great tasting beer that established the American light beer category in 1975, and Coors Light is the brand that introduced consumers to refreshment as cold as the Rockies. MillerCoors brews full-calorie beers Coors Banquet and Miller Genuine Draft; and economy brands Miller High Life and Keystone Light. The company also imports Peroni, Grolsch, Pilsner Urquell and Molson Canadian and offers innovative products such as Miller Chill and Sparks. MillerCoors features craft brews from the Jacob Leinenkugel Company, Blue Moon Brewing Company and the Blitz-Weinhard Brewing Company. MillerCoors operates eight major breweries in the U.S., as well as the Leinenkugel's craft brewery in Chippewa Falls, Wis., and two microbreweries, the Leinenkugel's 10th Street Brewery in Milwaukee and the Blue Moon Brewing Company at Coors Field in Denver. MillerCoors vision is to become the best beer company in America by driving profitable industry growth.

MillerCoors insists on building its brands the right way through brewing quality, responsible marketing and environmental and community impact. MillerCoors is a joint venture of SABMiller plc and Molson Coors Brewing Company.

About Pizzas 4 Patriots:

Pizzas 4 Patriots is a non-profit organization with the mission of making a positive difference in the lives of our service men and women. We proudly support those patriots presently serving, as well as our wounded Veterans. It is our goal to provide our Armed Forces with these special gifts from home. We have been fortunate to receive donations, ranging from financial to products and services, from individuals, families, corporations, and other organizations, all wanting to show appreciation for the sacrifice of our brave troops. Our goal is to bring a little bit of home to the troops, and show them that they are supported by the country and residents who enjoy the freedoms that they provide for us. For more information on our programs, please visit: www.Pizzas4Patriots.com.

About UNO:

Based in Boston, Uno Restaurant Holdings Corporation includes more than 200 company-owned and franchised full-service Uno Chicago Grill units located in 29 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, Honduras, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. The company also operates a fast casual concept called Uno Due Go(R), a quick serve concept called Uno Express(R), and a consumer foods division which supplies airlines, movie theaters, hotels, airports, travel plazas, schools and supermarkets with both frozen and refrigerated private-label foods and branded Uno products. For more information, visit www.unos.com.

About DHL:

DHL is the global market leader in the logistics industry and "The Logistics company for the world". DHL commits its expertise in international express, air and ocean freight, road and rail transportation, contract logistics and international mail services. A global network composed of more than 220 countries and territories and 310,000 employees worldwide offers customers superior service quality and local knowledge to satisfy their supply chain requirements. DHL accepts its social responsibility by supporting climate protection, disaster management and education.

Funagain Games

Funagain Games is giving away $100 grants to those serving in the U.S. military. There is no cost.

Funagain Games is proud to announce the most recent winner of its monthly game grant of $100 to a person serving in the U.S. military.

PFC Denis M. is a soldier in the 1st Cavalry Division stationed in Iraq who plays cards, Uno, Gloom, Cthulhu 500 and Warhammer 40,000 “on the floor and makeshift terrain.” Heʼs using his $100 grant at www.funagain.com (the source for the worldʼs largest selection of board games) to buy games that challenge his fellow Camp Liberty residents. The board games will be left there for the next rotation of soldiers.

To apply for a game grant, submit a 300- to 400-word essay to grants@funagain.com explaining what you would do with $100’s worth of new board games. Include your name and contact information. Applications remain active for one year after submission. More information and a listing of previous winners are at www.funagain.com.

Iran

I've spent some time today following the post-election riots in Iran on internet news and on Twitter. If you're at all interested, the links below are worth following in my opinion. I cannot vouch for validity. Also no guarantees that they will still be on line because there have been reports of power and internet outages since this started.

There are reports of the Iranians being traced and arrested by their internet activity. Adding this to replace the links that were here before:

The purpose of this guide is to help you participate constructively in the Iranian election protests through Twitter.

1. Do NOT publicise proxy IP's over twitter, and especially not using the #iranelection hashtag. Security forces are monitoring this hashtag, and the moment they identify a proxy IP they will block it in Iran. If you are creating new proxies for the Iranian bloggers, DM them to @stopAhmadi or @iran09 and they will distributed them discretely to bloggers in Iran.

2. Hashtags, the only two legitimate hashtags being used by bloggers in Iran are #iranelection and #gr88, other hashtag ideas run the risk of diluting the conversation.

3. Keep you bull$hit filter up! Security forces are now setting up twitter accounts to spread disinformation by posing as Iranian protesters. Please don't retweet impetuosly, try to confirm information with reliable sources before retweeting. The legitimate sources are not hard to find and follow.

4. Help cover the bloggers: change your twitter settings so that your location is TEHRAN and your time zone is GMT +3.30. Security forces are hunting for bloggers using location and timezone searches. If we all become 'Iranians' it becomes much harder to find them.

5. Don't blow their cover! If you discover a genuine source, please don't publicise their name or location on a website. These bloggers are in REAL danger. Spread the word discretely through your own networks but don't signpost them to the security forces. People are dying there, for real, please keep that in mind...

One of the more disappointing moments today was when I read tweets from several people who wished disenfranchised American voters had taken to the streets like this after our '04 election. One person considered the events in Iran a training manual for the next time Republicans are winning an election here. She was practically taking notes. Who the hell have we become?

For starters, get over the 2004 election already! If you truly believe that the '04 election here was stolen like this election in Iran, you need to buy extra strong tin foil for your hat because the old one's not working. You cannot spend all your time saying how dumb President Bush was and yet claim he masterminded a rigged election that no one's been able to prove in the four years since. Pick one. If you pick the latter, you have to say that President Bush (43) was not the moron you've been saying he is for the last 8 1/2 years. (Same goes for Truthers.)

Also, there is no comparison between the problems in the US and Iran. We may have issues but to compare the two is like comparing a paper cut to a decapitation. If you think that we've really got it that bad here consider the fact that you obviously have power and internet access to be reading this. Consider that fact that you can sign on to Twitter and spew about your conspiracy theories. (Twitter-rumors have it Twitter's been blocked in Iran) Consider that when you Google "9/11 Truth" you find something, even if it is all crap. (It doesn't work like that in China if you Google "Tienanmen Massacre".) Consider that our religious leaders are not being killed en masse or sent off to gulags like they were in Burma. Consider that reporters from most other countries are still welcome in the US yet two American journalists who tried to report from North Korea are now sentenced to 12 years of hard labor in a North Korean gulag.

Hell, we don't even have gulags here.

I never want to see it come to the point where we have to protest our government by throwing bricks at policemen or torching tires in the street. We have options every time an election rolls around to change the path of our nation without having to see blood in our streets. Anyone who wishes for a bloody revolution in America should consider how well that turned out for Burma and China, and they had something real to fight back against.

Pray for the people fighting back in Iran. Pray that it never comes to that here.

~~Code Monkey

see more Political Pictures

Well, it would hve been worse...

Hat tip, small dead animals

Have you seen this fake Marine?

Booked: 06-10-2009 Sex: MALE Race: WHITE D.O.B: 12-30-1978 Height: 5'10 Weight: 215 Eye: HAZEL Hair BROWN

In Custody For: 001 FELONY COUNT OF FRAUDULENT SCHEMES/ARTIFICES 001 FELONY COUNT OF FRAUD SCHEME/PRACTICE-CONCEAL 001 FELONY COUNT OF THEFT-CONTROL PROPERTY 001 FELONY COUNT OF THEFT-CONTROL LOST PROPERTY 001 FELONY COUNT OF THEFT-CONTROL STOLEN PROPERTY 001 FELONY COUNT OF CRIM IMPERSONATION-FALSE ID 001 FELONY COUNT OF CRIM IMPERSON-PRETEND/DEFRAUD 001 FELONY COUNT OF 001 FELONY COUNT OF UNSWORN FALSIFICTN-PROCEEDING 001 FELONY COUNT OF PRESCRIPTION-ONLY DRUG VIOL 001 FELONY COUNT OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA-POSSESS/USE

BUMPED AND UPDATED: BUSTED

A more in depth article here. No surprise when I read this: "DPS officials say Rodriguez got discounts and some special treatment as a result of posing as a war hero. "

I wonder when people read about guys like this if it makes them think twice about offering discounts, buying someone lunch, etc...

His name is John W. Rodriguez and he claimed to have been a gunnery sargent in the 7th ESB, USMC as best I can tell from the video. He claimed he was deploying to Fallujah to get out of an alcohol related offense.

He also claimed to have been awarded a Silver Star and Navy Cross.

The Marine Corps has no record of him. He's wanted for fraud and federal crimes.

AZ Department of Public Safety can be reached at 602-223-2000

H/T MyFoxPhoenix.com

~~Code Monkey

Welcome This Ain't Hell readers!

Why I "cling to guns"

This is why the vast majority or democrats (communists) and liberals (socialists) are such ardent supporters of gun control legislation, and willing to pass laws and restrictions on the number and types of guns that free men can own (despite it being a specific, enumerated right that shall not be abridged.)

From a commenter: "...Hence they suffer from Ceausescus Syndrome, and ardently support gun control, forgetting that in the end, it didn’t do him any good."

Best Venn Diagram ever.

Cover your keyboards--glee club of the damned

A letter to Angels and all who love the troops...

Dear Friends,

It is heartbreaking when we lose a warrior on the battlefield, and so very shocking when a warrior who seems safe at home falls in an act of violence within our borders. As you probably know, in Arkansas this week, two soldiers who had just begun their service were attacked by a fellow American. Soldiers' Angels is already working hard to give what comfort we can to the families, recruiters, and others involved--please read on to see how you can support them and their families and friends.

At 23 years of age, William Long was a bit older than the average recruit, but he had obviously decided to stand up and be counted as a defender of his country during wartime. Perhaps he made his decision with the example of his father--a former Marine--in mind. Fresh out of boot camp, he was back in his hometown to help the soldiers who had recruited him by sharing his experience of becoming a soldier with friends and acquaintances. Less is known about Quinton Ezeagwula at this time, who fortunately was only wounded and is expected to recover. But the same can be said for him--he had the courage and patriotism to volunteer for the military during wartime, and he had been selected to share his story. Both of them had been recruited by soldiers who worked in that recruiting center.

These two great young men and the recruiters who signed them up are just a sample of the heroes who have stood up to protect us, whose stories are not broadcast so loudly see days. But they are all still out there, serving quietly far away or right here at home as they keep the commitment they made when they signed up for military service in wartime. And they need to know Americans are supporting them. In the middle of this heartbreak, we can stand up and show our support and solidarity with these heroes. If you would like to write a note of encouragement and appreciation to the recruiters in the station where the shooting occurred, please send a card or letter to the following:

Army-Navy Career Center
U.S. Army Recruiting
9112 N Rodney Parham Rd.
Little Rock, AR 72205

You can also show your support right in your neighborhood, as other recruiting stations of all branches are certainly feeling sympathy and concern for their brothers in Arkansas. In this time when the actions of our tremendous servicemen and women aren't always getting the attention they deserve, a thank you and a small gift is a great way to let them know that we remember them and are grateful for their service. Try dropping by your local recruiting station with a dozen donuts and some gourmet grounds to stock the office coffee pot, or maybe have a couple pizzas delivered and bring some sodas and cups/plates. If you've got kids, cards and drawings from them would certainly be appreciated. Recruiting is a difficult job even in the best of circumstances, and these days taking the time to thank them for their hard work is a great way to show your support!

More than ever, we need to be sure the brave men and women of the American military know they have our support and undying gratitude. Let's stand up and shower them in love and appreciation!

Wingtip-to-Wingtip,

Soldiers' Angels

And your father smelled of elderberries!

I so want one of these....


(I wear a L or XL, if you're wondering...)

--Chuck

D-day

D-Day - a note from a friend. It's the note the French LNO sent to
the CJTF-82 today.

http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/06/dday_a_note_fro.html

The vignettes follow the events.

D-Day, the Decision.
http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/06/dday_the_decisi.html

Currahee - The Airborne goes in.

http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/06/currahee_the_ai.html

D-Day, H-Hour (photo post)

http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/06/dday_hhour_1.html

D-Day - we weren't alone.

http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/06/dday_we_werent.html

D-Day, the Supreme Commander waits

http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/06/dday.html

D-Day, in the air above the beaches

http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/06/dday_in_the_air.html

D-Day, the Navy on the beaches

http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/06/dday_the_navy_o.html

Last, but not least - today's (6 June any year) Medals of Honor - I'm
doing a one-year series highlighting the Medal.

http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/06/todays_medal_of_22.html

http://armywifetoddlermom.blogspot.com/2009/06/nebraska-stories-of-d-day.html

http://billandbobsadventure.blogspot.com/2009/06/d-day-benchmark.html

Here's Carla's of Some Soldier's Mom

http://somesoldiersmom.blogspot.com/2009/06/national-d-day-memorial-national.html

http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2009/06/dday_the_decisi.html

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/196011/omaha

http://www.mudvillegazette.com/032170.html

AF retiree sending 28,000 pizzas to troops

ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Ill. — A retired Air Force master sergeant who last year sent more than 2,000 pizzas to U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan is planning to up the ante this Independence Day.

Mark Evans is planning to ship 28,000 deep-dish pizzas, packed in dry ice, to the war zones.

Evans says sending the pizzas to the troops is like telling them they are doing a great job.

Evans said he is approaching corporations and private citizens for donations for this year’s shipment. It is his intent that every soldier at nine forward bases in Iraq and Afghanistan get a third of a pizza.

Evans says DHL Express has volunteered to ship the pizzas that will be obtained from Uno Chicago Grill. MillerCoors is donating 10,000 cases of beer.

The gates of hell are on the beaches of normandy.

"We want to get the hell over there. The quicker we clean up this God damned mess, the quicker we can take a little jaunt against the purple pissing Japs and clean out their nest, too. Before the God damned Marines get all of the credit." -- General George S. Patton, Jr., June 5, 1944.

"Don't worry chaps you'll only have to do this once. I'll have to come back and do a dozen takes with Errol Flynn!"--David Niven rallying his platoon before landing on gold beach.

Many people believe (since many people's understanding of WWII is limited to Saving Private Ryan, and the various Medal of Honor video games) that tanks did not play a large role in the D-Day landings. This is simply not true.

Each of the three assaulting US Infantry regiments had a GHQ tank battalion assigned (70th at Utah; 741st And 743rd at Omaha). Each battalion had two companies of DD (Duplex Drive/Amphibious) M4s (Sherman) (16 per company) and one of deep wading M4s (16), and 8 dozer tanks. That means each battalion had a contingent of 54 tanks. While the DD's had only been used in tests and training, the deep waders had been proven at Dieppe, Sicily, Salerno and Anzio, (and in the Pacific). Even if all the US DD's had been lost, the US assault regiments would have had 72 tanks to call on. The British-Canadians were supported by the equivalent of seven battalions, including DDs, AVREs, and 79th division funnies.

The US Tank Battalions had been training with DDs since late 1943, although the "Donald Ducks" were far from well loved. The DDs were derisively referred to as "30 tons of steel in a canvas bucket". Considered "makeshift as best" and a "disaster at worst" by the USN officer in charge of training. It was concluded that the sea keeping capabilities of the Sherman were marginal at best and that they could not be used in seas above Force 3 (about three foot (1m) waves), and should be launched no more than 3000 yards from shore. It appears British practice was to launch from 5000 yards, conditions permitting. The US Navy had determined that if conditions were not right, the LCTs should carry the DDs into the beach and land them normally, also a British practice.

Fire support for the advancing Americans, other than their own hand-held weapons, came in the form of tanks and destroyers. The tanks were leading a hard life. They were caught on the sand between the high water and the embankment, unable to get over the shingle to the beach flat, open targets for enemy guns. Still, they kept firing. One tank maintained its fire until the rising tide drowned out its cannon. (emphasis added)

The 741st tank battalion (which shares a lineage with the Fighting Aces) report on D-Day noted: "The tanks continued to fire on targets of opportunity during the infiltration of the infantry, which was moving directly forward making an assault on the bluff behind the beach. Due to the fact that exit Easy 3 which was to have been used as an exit from the beach by both infantry and tanks was still in enemy hands and commanded by several artillery pieces, consisting mostly of 88mm guns the infantry was forced to make their direct approach under the protecting fire of tank weapons.

MAJ Sidney Bingham, CO of the 2nd Battalion, 16th [Infantry] said that the Tanks "saved the day. They shot the hell out of the Germans, and got the hell shot out of them."

The same was true of the destroyers. Between them, the tankers and the sailors knocked out pillboxes as targets of opportunity and thus made it possible for the infantry to get up the bluff.

excerpted from
D-Day, June 6, 1944 By Stephen E. Ambrose

Make no mistake about it, D-Day was an infantry fight, and they paid for every square inch of that beach with blood. The sacrifices of the Rangers, the Line, and The Airborne cannot be forgotten. But there were a vast many "other" units that made the day possible, participated in the direct firefight, and in many instances gave their lives providing cover for the crunchies until they could give no more.


"You will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world. Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped, and battle-hardened. He will fight savagely....The free men of the world are marching together to victory. I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty, and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full victory. Good luck, and let us all beseech the blessings of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking." --General Dwight D. Eisenhower giving the D-Day order on June 6, 1944.

Sources and hat tips:
Myths about tanks on D-Day--Tim "Canambridge" Ambridge

1. FORD, Ken & ZALOGA, Steven J. Overlord: The D-Day Landings. Oxford : Osprey Publishing, 2009. 368 p.
2. ZALOGA, Steven J. US Tank and Tank Destroyer Battalions in the ETO, 1944-45. Oxford : Osprey Publishing, 2005. 96 p.
3. YEIDE, Harry. Steel Victory: The Heroic Story of America's Independent Tank Battalions at War in Europe. Presidio Press, 2004. 336 p.
4. YEIDE, Harry. Weapons of the Tankers: American Armour in World War II Battle Gear. Motorbooks International, 2006. 128 p.
5. BALKOSKI, Joseph. Omaha Beach: D-Day, June 6, 1944. Stackpole Books, 410 p.
6. BALKOSKI, Joseph. Utah Beach: The Amphibious Landing and Airborne Operations on D-Day, June 6, 1944. Stackpole Books, 380 p.
7. MORRISON, S.E. History of US Naval Operations in WWII, Vol XI: The Invasion of France and Germany, 1944-45.
8. War Department, Historical Division. Utah Beach to Cherbourg (6 June-27 June 1944) [online]. War Department, Historical Division, 1948. Available from Internet: <http://www.history.army.mil/books/wwii/utah/utah.htm>.
9. War Department, Historical Division. Omaha Beachhead (6 June-13 June 1944) [online]. War Department, Historical Division, 1945. Available from Internet: <http://www.history.army.mil/books/wwii/100-11/100-11.htm>.
10. DD Tank [online]. Available from Internet: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DD_tank>.

Standing Orders For REMFs

---

1. Don't shred nuthin'.

2. Have your files virus scanned, disks formatted, sixty minutes worth of paper and toner, and be ready to print at a minute's warning.

3. When you're leaving work, act the way you would if you was sneakin' up on a deer. See the enemy first.

4. Don't never lie to your rater. You can tell tall tales all you want to your senior rater/reviewer, but remember that you have an OER/NCOER in the balance.

5. Don't volunteer for an additional duty you don't have to.

6. When you're on a march to the podium, we march single file, far enough apart so no single shot from a laser pointer can blind two men.

7. If we strike on uncertain ground, we spread out our stories, so its hard to track us.

8. When we use the telephone, we keep a busy line until dark, so as to give the enemy the least possible chance at us.

9. When we brief, half the party stays awake while the other half sleeps.

10. If we are investigating the staff for a late suspense, we keep 'em separate 'til we have had time to interrogate them, so they can't cook up a story between 'em.

11. Don't ever brief the same way. Update your slides so you won't be ambushed.

12. No matter whether we travel in big parties or little ones, each party has to have a site survey party 2 weeks in advance, an ADVON element to cover the flanks, and a Rear Detachment to generate retroactive travel orders, so the Main Body can't be stranded without per diem.

13. Every night you'll be told where to meet for choir practice.

14. Don't sit down to eat without locking the office door and unhooking the phone.

15. Check your e-mail at dawn. Dawn is when higher HQ elements like to send without warning.

16. Don't cross a river by a regular Ford. (POV's are not authorized ... use the Staff Duty vehicle instead.)

17. Don't stand up when the enemy's coming against you. Quibble, deny, make counter-accusations, hide behind rank, etc.

18. Let the enemy come 'til he's almost close enough to touch. Then, let 'em have the floor and jump out and finish him with obscure facts from your "Smart Book".

If you can, go

If you can catch the live show or the movie theater simulcast on June 4, do so. This is the second time I've seen him live and it's been worth it each time.

A Glenn Beck show is not like going to the local improv and seeing a comic make jokes about pop culture or other lighter fare. I've never seen a stand-up comic who made me want to go home and feed my brain. And the way things are going these days, it's getting harder to find things to laugh about when thinking about where this country is going. But I did laugh. 

But more to the point is that he made me think.  

Now I have to go find out where the nearest July 4th Tea Party is and stock up on cough drops to keep the freaks away...

~~Code Monkey

Army recuiter killed in shooting, another injured!

One recruiter was killed and another wounded when a man in a black vehicle opened fire into the office. Recruiting commander Lt. Col Thomas F. Artis says the victims had just completed basic training and were spending two weeks in Little Rock to recruit in their home area, showing the difference that less than two months of training made in their lives.

Developing.... http://www.thunderrun.us/2009/06/breaking-gunman-shoots-2-at-arkansas.html