Showing posts with label understanding our military. Show all posts
Showing posts with label understanding our military. Show all posts
May 26, 2012
SandBoxBlogs: The Hill's Congress Blog "Everyone can find a way to honor our service members"
Dr. Jill Biden:
"Over the past few years, I have been blessed with the opportunity to spend time with our veterans, troops and military families. With every visit, I come away inspired.
They are military spouses, who balance work, family and school — all while dealing with the emotions of a deployment. They are military children, who move from school to school while picking up extra chores while their dad or mom is away serving our country. They are survivors of our fallen, who are pillars of strength for their communities. And of course, they are our troops, veterans and wounded warriors, who have dedicated their lives to defending America.
This Memorial Day, we must remember that these heroes are found in every corner of our country, from big cities to rural areas, from base communities to small towns. But no matter where they are assigned or what their duties are, when our service members are called to serve, so too are their families...."
(Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetic pursuit and tracking of patterns within the news others make since 2010."
"Over the past few years, I have been blessed with the opportunity to spend time with our veterans, troops and military families. With every visit, I come away inspired.
They are military spouses, who balance work, family and school — all while dealing with the emotions of a deployment. They are military children, who move from school to school while picking up extra chores while their dad or mom is away serving our country. They are survivors of our fallen, who are pillars of strength for their communities. And of course, they are our troops, veterans and wounded warriors, who have dedicated their lives to defending America.
This Memorial Day, we must remember that these heroes are found in every corner of our country, from big cities to rural areas, from base communities to small towns. But no matter where they are assigned or what their duties are, when our service members are called to serve, so too are their families...."
(Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetic pursuit and tracking of patterns within the news others make since 2010."
May 6, 2012
May 2, 2012
SandBoxBlogs: Dept of Defense/Face of Defense "Child chat"
"U.S. Army Sgt. Joshua Smith chats with an Afghan boy during a combined patrol clearing operation in Afghanistan's Ghazni province, April 28, 2012. Smith is assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division's 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team."
SandBoxBlogs: Red State "Barack Obama: A Legend In His Own Mind "
'strieff' Diary:
"In terms of iconography this photo is destined to rival that taken of FDR on D-Day.*
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
"In terms of iconography this photo is destined to rival that taken of FDR on D-Day.*
With some trying to turn bin Laden’s death into a campaign talking point for Obama’s reelection, it is useful to remember that the trail to bin Laden started in a CIA black site — all of which Obama ordered closed, forever, on the second full day of his administration — and stemmed from information obtained from hardened terrorists who agreed to tell us some (but not all) of what they knew after undergoing harsh but legal interrogation methods. Obama banned those methods on Jan. 22, 2009.(Read more? Click title)
–Jose A. Rodriguez
The Washington Post, The path to bin Laden’s death didn’t start with Obama"
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
March 12, 2012
SandBoxBlogs: Grand Junction Daily Sentinel "GJ welcomes home navy seal"
We do think our returning military are special "E-6 Navy Seal Karl “Gus” Gustavson". Regardless of what heroics you take in stride every day.
Thank you for your service. Welcome home.
Richie Ann Ashcraft:
"E-6 Navy Seal Karl “Gus” Gustavson received a much deserved hero’s welcome Thursday morning after returning home for the second time from Afghanistan to his home town of Grand Junction.
Gustavson declined to speak about his service and said “there’s not much about work that I can really talk about.”
But, whatever it is he does do, it’s something important, dangerous and worthy of an immense amount of respect from his fellow veterans who turned out at Grand Junction Regional Airport to welcome him home.
“This is the second time we’ve welcomed him home. You’ll have to ask him what he does but I can tell you he really deserves it,” said Art Edwards, one of more than 20 Colorado Patriot Guard Riders and Legion Guard Riders who came to say thank you.
“Just think about all that’s happened in the last six months and that should tell you,” said Jim McNeill, a friend of Gus’ father. “I can tell you, he’s really, really special.” McNeill was looking forward to finally meeting Gus, after sending numerous care packages throughout the past year filled with food and candy as a showing of support.
Gustavson doesn’t know what all the fuss is about. “Not that I’m not special,” he said with a laugh...."
(Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
Thank you for your service. Welcome home.
Richie Ann Ashcraft:
"E-6 Navy Seal Karl “Gus” Gustavson received a much deserved hero’s welcome Thursday morning after returning home for the second time from Afghanistan to his home town of Grand Junction.
Gustavson declined to speak about his service and said “there’s not much about work that I can really talk about.”
But, whatever it is he does do, it’s something important, dangerous and worthy of an immense amount of respect from his fellow veterans who turned out at Grand Junction Regional Airport to welcome him home.
“This is the second time we’ve welcomed him home. You’ll have to ask him what he does but I can tell you he really deserves it,” said Art Edwards, one of more than 20 Colorado Patriot Guard Riders and Legion Guard Riders who came to say thank you.
“Just think about all that’s happened in the last six months and that should tell you,” said Jim McNeill, a friend of Gus’ father. “I can tell you, he’s really, really special.” McNeill was looking forward to finally meeting Gus, after sending numerous care packages throughout the past year filled with food and candy as a showing of support.
Gustavson doesn’t know what all the fuss is about. “Not that I’m not special,” he said with a laugh...."
(Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
February 24, 2012
SandBox Comments: Dept of Defense "Face of Defense Marine Pulls Man From Burning Truck
By Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Stephen T. Stewart
"MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C., Feb. 24, 2012 – Running late on his way to pick up a new fishing boat after work Feb. 14, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. David S. Shouse was driving through the small town of Boiling Spring Lakes, N.C., when he saw a truck engulfed in flames...."
(Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
"MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C., Feb. 24, 2012 – Running late on his way to pick up a new fishing boat after work Feb. 14, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. David S. Shouse was driving through the small town of Boiling Spring Lakes, N.C., when he saw a truck engulfed in flames...."
(Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
January 31, 2012
SandBox Comments: Stars and Stripes "U-2 spy plane to linger overhead a bit longer"
They should be left to linger for decades to come. So much of our military needs, our border control and security needs, our homeland security needs could be done with the technology of drones.
In our view the value of human life is far greater than the loss of privacy we may be subjected to. To not send an American life into battle or security enforcement and instead rely on technology is well worth considering.
This, is great news on the U-2.
W.J. Hennigan:
"Wars have come and gone. But for more than half a century, the CIA and U.S. military have relied on a skinny sinister-looking black jet to go deep behind enemy lines for vital intelligence-gathering missions.
The high-flying U-2 spy plane was first designed during the Eisenhower administration to breach the iron curtain and, as engineers said, snap "picture postcards for Ike" of hidden military strongholds in the Soviet Union.
And although the plane is perhaps best known for being shot down over the Soviet Union in 1960 and the subsequent capture of pilot Francis Gary Powers, the U-2 continues to play a critical role in national security today, hunting Al Qaeda forces in the Middle East. The aging cold warrior once slated for retirement in 2015 may fight on into the next decade.
The fleet of 33 spycraft was supposed to be replaced in the next few years with RQ-4 Global Hawks, the high-tech drones that have been part of the Air Force since 2001. But this week the Pentagon proposed delaying the U-2's retirement as part of Defense Department cutbacks.
At an estimated cost of $176 million each, the Global Hawk drone had "priced itself out of the niche, in terms of taking pictures in the air," said Deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter at a Thursday news conference. "That's a disappointment for us, but that's the fate of things that become too expensive in a resource-constrained environment."
The Pentagon has determined that operating the U-2 would be cheaper for the foreseeable future; it won't disclose how much operating the U-2s will cost for security reasons. The government has relied on the U-2 since 1955, when the aircraft was first built and designed under tight security by Lockheed Corp. at its famed Skunk Works facilities in Burbank headed by legendary chief engineer Clarence L. "Kelly" Johnson....."
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
In our view the value of human life is far greater than the loss of privacy we may be subjected to. To not send an American life into battle or security enforcement and instead rely on technology is well worth considering.
This, is great news on the U-2.
W.J. Hennigan:
"Wars have come and gone. But for more than half a century, the CIA and U.S. military have relied on a skinny sinister-looking black jet to go deep behind enemy lines for vital intelligence-gathering missions.
The high-flying U-2 spy plane was first designed during the Eisenhower administration to breach the iron curtain and, as engineers said, snap "picture postcards for Ike" of hidden military strongholds in the Soviet Union.
And although the plane is perhaps best known for being shot down over the Soviet Union in 1960 and the subsequent capture of pilot Francis Gary Powers, the U-2 continues to play a critical role in national security today, hunting Al Qaeda forces in the Middle East. The aging cold warrior once slated for retirement in 2015 may fight on into the next decade.
The fleet of 33 spycraft was supposed to be replaced in the next few years with RQ-4 Global Hawks, the high-tech drones that have been part of the Air Force since 2001. But this week the Pentagon proposed delaying the U-2's retirement as part of Defense Department cutbacks.
At an estimated cost of $176 million each, the Global Hawk drone had "priced itself out of the niche, in terms of taking pictures in the air," said Deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter at a Thursday news conference. "That's a disappointment for us, but that's the fate of things that become too expensive in a resource-constrained environment."
The Pentagon has determined that operating the U-2 would be cheaper for the foreseeable future; it won't disclose how much operating the U-2s will cost for security reasons. The government has relied on the U-2 since 1955, when the aircraft was first built and designed under tight security by Lockheed Corp. at its famed Skunk Works facilities in Burbank headed by legendary chief engineer Clarence L. "Kelly" Johnson....."
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
January 25, 2012
SandBox Comments: Dept. of Defense "Special Operations Forces Rescue Hostages in Somalia"
Other alerts have this credited to Navy Seal Team 6.
Thank you so much for your service.
Jim Garamone:
"WASHINGTON, Jan. 25, 2012 – Special operations forces rescued an American woman and Danish man who had been held captive in Somalia for three months, President Barack Obama announced early this morning.
Both are well and are in a secure location, and there were no American casualties in the operation.
Jessica Buchanan and Poul Thisted were working as part of a Danish demining group when Somali criminals kidnapped them near Galcayo, Somalia, on Oct. 25, according to a statement from Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta. Galcayo is near the border with Ethiopia. There was no word where the two were held.
“This successful hostage rescue, undertaken in a hostile environment, is a testament to the superb skills of courageous service members who risked their lives to save others,” Panetta said in the statement. “I applaud their efforts, and I am pleased that Ms. Buchanan and Mr. Thisted were not harmed during the operation.”
The president said he had spoken with Buchanan’s father and told him that all Americans are thankful that his daughter is safe and will soon be home.
“The United States will not tolerate the abduction of our people, and will spare no effort to secure the safety of our citizens and to bring their captors to justice,” Obama said in his statement. “This is yet another message to the world that the United States of America will stand strongly against any threats to our people...”
(Read more? Click title. Comment to discuss)
Thank you so much for your service.
Jim Garamone:
"WASHINGTON, Jan. 25, 2012 – Special operations forces rescued an American woman and Danish man who had been held captive in Somalia for three months, President Barack Obama announced early this morning.
Both are well and are in a secure location, and there were no American casualties in the operation.
Jessica Buchanan and Poul Thisted were working as part of a Danish demining group when Somali criminals kidnapped them near Galcayo, Somalia, on Oct. 25, according to a statement from Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta. Galcayo is near the border with Ethiopia. There was no word where the two were held.
“This successful hostage rescue, undertaken in a hostile environment, is a testament to the superb skills of courageous service members who risked their lives to save others,” Panetta said in the statement. “I applaud their efforts, and I am pleased that Ms. Buchanan and Mr. Thisted were not harmed during the operation.”
The president said he had spoken with Buchanan’s father and told him that all Americans are thankful that his daughter is safe and will soon be home.
“The United States will not tolerate the abduction of our people, and will spare no effort to secure the safety of our citizens and to bring their captors to justice,” Obama said in his statement. “This is yet another message to the world that the United States of America will stand strongly against any threats to our people...”
(Read more? Click title. Comment to discuss)
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