A video about George Bush, John Kerry and iraq.

I just had to pass this along to the rest of you.

Dennis Miller rocks!

Technorati Tags : Iraq, Baghdad, War, OIF, Army, Military, Navy, Marines, Veterans

John Kerry voices his true feelings about the American Soldier once again.

"You know, education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don't, you get stuck in Iraq."



I guess now we know how John Kerry really feels about members of the military. We are uneducated rocks that is we didn't have the military to turn to we'd be out on the street or flippin' burgers somewhere.

I want him to know that I have a degree in electrical engineering and had a good job in that field. I chose to serve my country in the armed forces because it is the right thing to do. Am I an officer or a clerk? No, I am a tanker and have chosen to be a combat soldier because I am good at it and to me its what being in the military is all about.

I for one demand an apology from Mr. Kerry and all of you out there that support the military or are members of the military need to speak out on this matter. I am tired of being called dumb, blind, a Nazi and so on and so on by our supposed leadership in this country.


Technorati Tags : Iraq, Baghdad, War, OIF, Army, Military, Navy, Marines, Veterans

Digg has banned this site.

I'm not exactly sure how this has happened but the social networking site Digg has labeled this site as a media middle man. I suppose it could be because some of my posts do link to other stories outside of this weblog or it could be because my views appear to differ from most of the people that I've met while on Digg.

Every post comments on the story that I link to so I can't seem to understand how I'm just a middle man since I am trying to add to the story. If some posts are pushing the limits then fine, remove the link to that post but why ban the entire site? That is what makes me think that somebody just didn't like the subject that I am talking about.

To have a popular post on Digg it would appear that you must either be talking computers or anti war / anti bush. Without those subjects you don't get seen.

Help me to get reinstated to Digg so those of us in uniform that actually believe in what we are doing can post our views next to those that don't.


Technorati Tags : Iraq, Baghdad, War, OIF, Army, Military, Navy, Marines, Veterans

Photos from Iraq and various places that I've been.

More photos will be added from time to time so make sure you stop by to check them out.

Click on a photo to go to my album on Flickr

Technorati Tags : Iraq, Baghdad, War, OIF, Army, Military, Navy, Marines, Veterans

The Tanker Brothers weblog is shutting down.

Due to tighter restrictions on personal web pages, Tanker Brothers will be shutting down while both of the boys are in Iraq.

Its really a shame that the DOD is so scared of what soldiers are saying that they won't let us continue to talk about our time in the war.

I understand about OPSEC and the fact that the very people that defend the freedoms that you enjoy don't get to exercise them in many ways while in service but the stories that are being told are ones of success and pride in their jobs.

These are the stories that you don't read about in the paper or see on the news, the world that most of the deployed soldiers see is very different than what is shown to the average civilian on TV.

Please visit Tanker Brothers before their Veterans Day end date and show your support for these wonderful guys.

As a note to the Tanker Brothers from this tanker, don't forget that Tankers rule the battlefield and the next time a scout tells you different just park on his M1114 and see if he still feels like a big shot.

Technorati Tags : Iraq, Baghdad, War, OIF, Army, Military, Navy, Marines, Veterans

Following a dream now that I am home

I have always wanted to learn to fly and now I'm going to do it.

While I was in Iraq I had time to think of the things that I have always wanted to do so I figure its now time to start doing something about the list I've made. I plan on taking lessons through the Ft. Lewis flying club as soon as I can but it is quite expensive. Are there any instructors out there willing to donate a little time (wink,wink)?

I know that there are many other things that I need to focus on in my life but at the worst times of the deployment I couldn't shake the thought that I had failed to do many of the things that I have always wanted to do in life and that if I made it home in one piece I would start marking things off of the list that I had built.

If anybody out there has any tips or suggestions for me I'd love to hear from you.

Wish me luck!

Technorati Tags : Iraq, Baghdad, War, OIF, Army, Military, Navy, Marines, Veterans

Know the real facts about gun ownership before believing the hype that you hear.

Many people are talking about taking away guns from lawful owners. This would include the guns that we use for hunting, target shooting and protection. These helpful and safety conscious people truly believe that guns are the problem and not the people that are using them for crimes. Take the guns away and the innocent, untrained non law enforcement types won't hurt themselves. I've even heard some say that if guns were harder to get then the suicide rate would drop....How do they figure? Please follow the "read more" link for some more information on the truth about gun ownership and related injures.

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The real fear facing many soldiers in Iraq is much different than you think

No soldier that has ever deployed to anywhere for any amount of time knows what they will find when thy return home. For many in Iraq, the fears of what is happening at home are much more stressful than what is happening to them on the battlefield. I speak from experience when I say that I can deal with bullets but whats going on at home?

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Murphy's Laws of Combat

•If the enemy is in range, so are you.

•Incoming fire has the right of way.

•Don't look conspicuous: it draws fire.

•The easy way is always mined.

•Try to look unimportant, they may be low on ammo.

•Professionals are predictable, it's the amateurs that are dangerous.

•The enemy invariably attacks on one of two occasions:

When you're ready for them.

When you're not ready for them.

•Teamwork is essential; it gives the enemy someone else to shoot at.

•If you can't remember, the claymore is pointed at you.

•If your attack is going well, you have walked into an ambush.

•Don't draw fire, it irritates the people around you.

•The only thing more accurate than incoming enemy fire is incoming friendly fire.

•When the pin is pulled, Mr. Grenade is not our friend.

•If it's stupid but works, it isn't stupid.

•When in doubt empty the magazine.

•Never share a fox hole with anyone braver than you.

•Anything you do can get you shot, including doing nothing.

•Make it too tough for the enemy to get in and you can't get out.

•Mines are equal opportunity weapons.

•A Purple Heart just proves that were you smart enough to think of a plan, stupid enough to try it, and lucky enough to survive.

•Don't ever be the first, don't ever be the last and don't ever volunteer to do anything.

•The quartermaster has only two sizes: too large and too small.

•Five second fuses only last three seconds.

•It is generally inadvisable to eject directly over the area you just bombed.

Technorati Tags : Iraq, Baghdad, War, OIF, Army, Military, Navy, Marines, Veterans

Differences between you and the American soldier.

I have been reading a lot of anti war and anti soldier articles lately and to be quite honest, every word hurts me. We are not monsters that love to fight and kill, we serve because we believe it is the right thing to do. We do not make policy but we are required to carry it out. We can't just quit because we might not like what we are told to do, we just do it. I received the following thoughts in an e-mail the other day and saw it posted on a few military sites so I thought I would repost it here for you all to see, read and think about what we go through compared to those that have never served. This is just a short list, I could come up with many more examples of things that most people never have and never will experience. Please read this closely and pass it on to your friends. Feel free to post your comments if you feel differently than I do, I'd love to discuss it with you.

_________________________

Your alarm goes off, you hit the snooze and sleep for another 10 minutes.

He stays up for days on end.

_________________________

You take a warm shower to help you wake up.

He goes days or weeks without running water.

__________________________

You complain of a "headache", and call in sick.

He gets shot at as others are hit, and keeps moving forward.

__________________________

You put on your anti war/don't support the troops shirt, and go meet up with your friends.

He still fights for your right to wear that shirt.

__________________________

You make sure you're cell phone is in your pocket.

He clutches the cross hanging on his chain next to his dog tags.

__________________________

You talk trash about your "buddies" that aren't with you.

He knows he may not see some of his buddies again.

__________________________

You walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty girls.

He walks the streets, searching for insurgents and terrorists.

__________________________

You complain about how hot it is.

He wears his heavy gear, not daring to take off his helmet to wipe his brow.

__________________________

You go out to lunch, and complain because the restaurant got your order wrong.

He doesn't get to eat today.

_________________ _________

Your maid makes your bed and washes your clothes.

He wears the same things for weeks, but makes sure his weapons are clean.

__________________________

You go to the mall and get your hair redone.

He doesn't have time to brush his teeth today.

__________________________

You're angry because your class ran 5 minutes over.

He's told he will be held over an extra 2 months.

__________________________

You call your girlfriend and set a date for tonight.

He waits for the mail to see if there is a letter from home.

__________________________

You hug and kiss your girlfriend, like you do everyday.

He holds his letter close and smells his love's perfume.

__________________________

You roll your eyes as a baby cries.

He gets a letter with pictures of his new child, and wonders if they'll ever meet

__________________________

You criticize your government, and say that war never solves anything.

He sees the innocent tortured and killed by their own people and remembers why he is fighting.

__________________________

You hear the jokes about the war, and make fun of men like him.

He hears the gunfire, bombs and screams of the wounded.

__________________________

You see only what the media wants you to see.

He sees the broken bodies lying around him.

__________________________

You are asked to go to the store by your parents. You don't.

He does exactly what he is told.

__________________________

You stay at home and watch TV.

He takes whatever time he is given to call, write home, sleep, and eat.

__________________________

You crawl into your soft bed, with down pillows, and get comfortable.

He crawls under a tank for shade and a 5 minute nap, only to be woken by gunfire.

__________________________

You sit there and judge him, saying the world is probably a worse place because of men like him.

If only there were more men like him!

If you support your troops, re-send this to everyone you know,If it gets to another veteran who hasn't received it yet, it will bring back memories.

Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you,Jesus Christ and the American G. I..

One died for your soul, the other for your freedom

Technorati Tags : Iraq, Baghdad, War, OIF, Army, Military, Navy, Marines, Veterans

Operation Support Our Troops need your help!

Operation Support Our Troops is running a fund drive until 5pm pacific to raise enough money for postage to ship care packages to soldiers deployed overseas this Christmas. 100% of your donations go to postage costs. Please help to send a gift to our deployed soldiers.

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North Korea tests a nuke!

Looks like things are heating up. I guess we had all better keep an eye on the little man across the pond.
This guy is thumbing his nose at the world, this isn't the way to make friends and advance your country.
I feel bad thing are coming our way in the near future. Soldiers, dust off your cold weather gear!

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Technorati Tags : War, OIF, Army, Military, Navy, Marines, Veterans,

Restored ME262 takes to the air

Watch this video of a restored ME262 flying at the Berlin air show Its too bad that this plane was built by the Nazis. I know, I know, this isn't about Iraq but it is a cool piece of history.

Follow the link below to see the video.

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Understanding what an Iraqi insurgent really is.

Mercenary - Definition from the Geneva Convention

A mercenary is any person who is specially recruited in order to fight in an armed conflict, who takes a direct part in the hostilities, who is motivated by money and is promised substantially higher pay than that paid to other combatants of similar rank, who is not a national of one of the countries involved in the conflict nor a resident of a territory controlled by any of the parties, is not a member of the armed forces of any of the parties, and who has not been sent by another country on official duty as a member of its armed forces. (Protocol I, Art. 47)A mercenary does not have the right to be a combatant or a prisoner of war. (Protocol I, Art. 37)


Just something to think about the next time you hear shouts for protection for prisoners from Iraq.





Technorati Tags : Iraq, Baghdad, War, OIF, Army, Military, Navy, Marines, Veterans,

Supporting the Troops

The following entry is so you all can see the type of people that I run in to face to face every day in the seattle area. Read what this guy has to say and please let him know what you think!
Please follow the link at the bottom.

"The military destroys our freedoms and should not be supported. Those who
believe we are free because of past wars have serious deficiencies in logic
(probably due to govt education). Should we ever support the troops? Laurence
Vance explains a couple times when the troops should be supported."

Click here to read more of his view of soldiers

Technorati Tags : Iraq, Baghdad, War, OIF, Army, Military, Navy, Marines, Veterans,

Mark Foley isn't the only offender in the Government!

I just thought that we should give equal time to both sides of the Washington sex scandal subject.

I don't defend this man and I think that he should be locked away for a very long time but I also disagree that the speaker of the house should step down for not taking further actions against Rep. Foley until after we find out how much he knew about this matter and for how long he knew. Normally I would stay out of things like this but I am angry about the way that this is being handled. I think that the republicans are doing the right thing by not circling the wagons around this piece of filth and I just wish that the democrats would have done the same with some of their folks in previous years.

Here are a couple of examples:

Mel Reynolds - Convicted of 12 counts of sexual assault on a 12 year old and was pardoned by Pres. Clinton

Barney Frank - Had a brothel in his residence, only 2 democrats voted for censure.

Gerry Studds - Censured for a relationship with an underage male assistant....served 6 more terms.

Teddy Kennedy - Do I really need to go in to this one?

If this guy was a democrat they would say that the attacks against him were cruel and that his personal life should be private.

WAKE UP PEOPLE!

Protections of the Constitution.

Since when does an illegal alien deserve the same protections that an American has under the Constitution?

Why are we trying to protect non uniformed enemy combatants with these same basic rights?

Why do we issue a drivers license to a foreign national without proof of being here on a current visa and then not mark it as temporary?

Why are we not checking to see if a person registering to vote in this country is actually here legally and trying to become an American?

I guess that my grandparents wasted their time becoming Americans back in the 20's, if they came over now they could still get a public education for their kids, welfare for themselves, vote, get free health care at the cost of the tax payers and live like the rest of us with no fear of being deported.

Why are we so eager to allow law breakers to get away with this?

Why?

Democrat Party supports vets...but from which country?

The Democratic National Committee website has a page called Veterans and Military Families where they purport to care about the welfare of US troops. Unfortunately they couldn't even find a picture of a US soldier to post on the page... the uniform in the DNC photo... is Canadian!

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The Patton Museum at the home of Cavalry and Armor.

These photos were taken at the Patton Museum located at Ft. Knox. This museum covers the history of armor from its beginning to present day and a large amount of information available for you check out.

Check out this link for information on the museum

http://www.generalpatton.org/

General info about Ft. Knox

http://www.knox.army.mil/

Every military member should know this travel agency

https://www.satovacations.com/

View more of my photos over at Flickr.

Technorati Tags : Iraq, Baghdad, War, OIF, Army, Military, Navy, Marines, Veterans,

The Warrior Ethos

I am an American Soldier.
I am a Warrior and a member of a team. I serve the people of the United States and live the Army Values.
I will always place the mission first.
I will never accept defeat.
I will never quit.
I will never leave a fallen comrade.
I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills. I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself.
I am an expert and I am a professional.
I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy the enemies of the United States of America in close combat.
I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life.
I am an American Soldier.

Technorati Tags : Iraq, Baghdad, War, OIF, Army, Military, Navy, Marines, Veterans,