Not Another Weekend Drill...

I felt realllly lucky not showing up to drill at 0645...On Saturday, I had to show up at 0800 for formation but really it's more like 0745. If you're not 15 minutes early, you're late. Some other guys were not so lucky. They, on the other hand, had to show up no later than 0645 and get on a bus for Orlando. Some of the other soldiers were going to have to partake in a Pre Health Assessment (PHA), pretty much a physical. They were going to be at our Headquarters in Orlando all day, but not I.

Well, I took care of my PHA like six months ago but it didn't mean that I was exempt from work this weekend. I had counselings to wrap up, inventory new equipment, make sure old equipment had maintenance records up to date, and prepare for our company's Christmas party that was being held on Sunday. Every year each company puts on some sort of Christmas party for their friends and family come into our armory. It's kind of like an open house. We have a myriad of different weapon systems set up in what we call a "static display." A static display is defined as a fixed, stationary position. It gives the families an idea of what we train on, how weapon systems work, and a person there will give them more in depth information on that particular piece of equipment.

50 cal. machine gun

60mm Mortar system

 



Sunday, early morning 0645, we all were standing in formation waiting for the First Sergeant, well, the majority of us. There are still a couple dirt-bags who think they can show up when they want to but the Army will process them out. Some soldiers were taking a physical fitness test due to their poor performance in October when they failed it. Absolutely ridiculous to not be able to meet the Army standard, a civilian could probably pass first time go. The rest of us were going to do some sort of physical activity (PT). It's kind of our way to see if the lower enlisted soldiers are keeping up with fitness on their own time.

Just when I thought we were getting ready to start PT, monkey wrench in the equation, the commander has everyone go back indoors for a briefing. Being in for many years, I knew what was about to take place. The younger guys hadn't a clue. The commander begin to start with, "the company will be conducting a 100% urinalysis." A "piss test" what we called it. It didn't really bother me, my body is clean, but some looked a little perturbed. Ok, I was a little upset that I might miss my PT session; however, I understand that this has to be accomplished to weed out the druggies, no pun intended.

Well, It only took about one and a half hours so it was off for a two-mile run. I wanted to run the two mile portion of the PT test to pace fellow soldiers. You cannot drag, pull, carry or help in anyway except for yell and motivate. When my soldier came in at 17:36, I was very distraught. I tried to yell and motivate but he was completely incoherent. This was not the first or second time he had failed either. How can a 20 year old, so called man, not meet the Army minimum standard. All he has to do is make this two mile run in 15:54. It's really close to an 8 minute mile, which is not hard by any means. Needless to say, he will be taking it again next month...

Pt run

 



All in all, the company Christmas party went extremely well. There were plenty of toys to hand out to the kids, Santa even made a visit. Our lunch was contracted from Boston Market, what more could you ask for. I told everyone, "see ya next year" as I only see these guys once a month and will not make my over 2 hour trek till January. So, with that being said, until next year...

Workout of the WEEK

I'm sorry that I must have been busy studying for final exams and did not post a workout of the week for last week. Yeah, I know you've been dying for one... Well, to be honest, this past week I didn't have time for much at all. Thanksgiving week, I absolutely crushed it and was walking funny on Friday and Saturday because of it. I wanted to make sure I could eat what I wanted without gaining all those holiday lbs. I would like to give you a run-down of some things I did that week:

 

 

 



Burpee pull-ups

Over-head squats with 20lb ball

Rope climbs

Air squats

Tire flips

5 mile road march w/ Ruck 40 lbs

Sprints

Paddleboard 45 mins

Power-cleans

Dead-lifts

Shoulder-press

Push-ups

Pull-ups

Crunches

 

 

 

 

Anyone that is somewhat new to fitness and working out should try and pick three of these exercises. Example: Burpee pull-ups, air squats, & dead-lifts. Pick a set number of reps you want to do each one at. Like burpee pull-ups-5; air squats-25; dead-lifts say 125lbs at 10 reps. Once you do this, you can either set a timer and rotate through each exercise for 15 minutes, or maybe you want to do five rounds of this. A lot of these exercises are a total body workout and will get your heart-rate going fast. They will not only challenge your body but also your mind. So, get outside, grab a partner or be solo, pick a few from the list and see what you got. Challenge yourself TODAY!

 

My next training event I will sign up for is Here, check it out. I did one a couple of years ago and had the some of the best times of my life. There is also a video shown below of the event I'm talking about.

 

 

 

 

*Many of the exercises mentioned I have posted a brief description of or posted a video in the past.

 Check out my archives for the other Workout of the Weeks, thanks.

 

 



Defense Tech and Intel Career Fair

WHO: All Job seekers Military, Civilians & contractors with backgrounds

and experience in the following are invited:

Information Technology, Software Engineer, Aerospace, Logistics,

Acquisition, Electrical Engineering, Communications, Intelligence,

Finance, Analysts, Counter Intelligence, Cyber Security,

Project Management, Network Administrator, Linguists,

Systems Administrator, Human Intelligence

 

WHAT: MacDill Air Force Base Defense Tech & Intel Career Fair

WHEN: Tuesday December 11th, 2012, from 10am-2pm

 

 

WHERE: Surf's Edge Club

7315 Bayshore Blvd., Bldg. 499

MacDill AFB, FL 33621

 

WHY: To find a very promising job with great benefits that will be in a career

you will enjoy. Don't forget to bring plenty copies of your resume

to hand out to many employers.

 





 

*the career fair will be open to all those who can already get onto the military installation. Military or CAC ID holders. For more information and to pre-register click HERE.

Hiring Our Heroes

There is a very special event coming up in Orlando December. On Tuesday the 18th, from 9am to 12pm, Hiring Our Heroes, a job fair for veterans, active duty service men and women, Guard and Reserve members, and military spouses are invited to attend at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 7800 Universal Blvd. Orlando, FL.

This is a great opportunity for veterans, service men and women, spouses to take advantage of that are seeking employment. The best thing about it all, it's Free. Free for jobseekers and Free for employers too.

The Hiring Our Heroes event is being held by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Orlando Chamber of Commerce, Office of the Mayor, and many other national and local partners. The link to sign up for jobseekers is Here. The link to sign up for employers is Here. This will be the perfect chance to get your resumes together and head over to Orlando while you have the time during the Christmas break.

Or for further registration questions, contact at hiringourheroes@uschamber.com or call 202-463-5807.

 

Interesting Veteran Facts that May Shock You

I was reading one of my fellow blogger's site at Bouhammer's Afghan and Military Blog and wanted to share these very alarming facts about Veterans. Many of these facts that I did not even know about as being a Veteran too, I was shocked. I would like you to take the time to read over some of these facts and you might just be shocked as well.




I was very alarmed by the statistics here as I am sure you are. A countless number of Veterans who return from combat zones, whether it be Vietnam, Iraq or Afghanistan, no matter what will feel left out and as if they can only relate to other soldiers. Soldiers returning from those eras will go through a phase that might not be the best in anyone's mind. Some may resort to drinking heavily, drugs, depression and even suicide as the graphic shows that 18 Veterans commit suicide a day. I have been in almost all the situations above and know first-hand what it's like. Some will fall into a slump that could take a year to adjust and others will find that they cannot adjust to what civilians will call their "normal" everyday life.

If you have never thanked a Veteran; do it, If you have never volunteered at a Veterans Hospital; do it, If you have never donated the slightest amount of money to a Veterans organization; do it. If you cannot donate money because your a broke college student, the first and best thing is a donation of your time. You could spend it helping out or even talking to Veterans at the Veterans Hospital. Wait a minute... James A. Haley, Veterans Hospital is like 2-5 minutes from USF. You might be shocked that a little bit of your time, will last a life-time in a Veterans' eyes. I would like to thank Bouhammer's Afghan and Military Blog and thank everyone who supports our Vets.



Don't Ask Don't Tell Not Issue Anymore

Occasionally, I have people ask me how I feel about the policy that was initially Don't ask, don't tell, which was put in effect by Bill Clinton in December, 1993. I tell them that I have knowingly served on the side of gay men and women and it did not affect my performance or theirs in any way. I have also had fellow soldiers in the military still make derogatory comments in reference to the repeal in 2010 to Don't Ask Don't Tell policy, this past couple of years, by President Barrack Obama.

The old policy, from former President Bill Clinton, would let gay and lesbian soldiers serve; however, they would not be able to serve openly and military personnel would not be able to discriminate against closeted homosexual or bisexual service members. The policy also stated, if members showed acts of homosexuality they would no longer be able to serve because it would create an unacceptable environment for morale and unit cohesion, which are key concepts of military readiness. I remember when I was in the active Army during the Clinton administration and thought this policy was absurd. We suspected some members being gay but it did not affect our unit cohesion in a negative way. Here is a training guide for homosexuality in 2001:

It basically stated that a reliable person could turn someone in if they saw a member engaging in a homosexual act. Also, it stated that if a reliable person heard a member say they were a homosexual or the member themselves came out, it would be grounds for discharge. They spoke as if a homosexual was an extraterrestrial being and was not a reliable person. It's absolutely amazing isn't it?

One of the things that I am proud to say of our current President is his repeal of DADT in 2010, and ultimately ended the DADT policy for good in July 2011. We are in the 21st century and to have such a law is really unjust. I mean, to discriminate a soldier on their sexual preference is wrong. I believe the majority of the soldiers present and future have no problem serving with homosexuals openly. It is not like homosexuals have not been serving until now. Furthermore, fellow service members may or may not suspect this but it hasn't affected any major changes in the past and thus will not change a thing in the future. President Obama said it best, "As of September 20, service members will no longer be forced to hide who they are in order to serve our country." After all, It is 2012 and if people do not agree then they need to get over it, and move on.



President Obama signing the Don't ask, don't tell Repeal Act of 2010.

Veterans Lose Lives in Tragic Accident

Could you imagine going on a couple of combat tours, making it home safe, then to die in a train accident in the United States? Yes, this really happened. A float that was heading to a parade on Thursday in Midland, Texas was hit by a freight train.

It was the second float carrying Vets that ignored the warning signs of the railroad crossing. Lead investigator Robert Accetta with the National Transportation Safety Board said, "Once the crossing becomes active, people should stop," this was stated at a news conference Saturday afternoon. The accident is still under investigation stated by Mark Rosekind, another member of the NTSB.

This crucial mistake by the driver cost the lives of four Veterans and 16 others injured. The only good thing about this was that the other float with more Veterans on it took immediate action and began working on the injured. If they had not been there, the chance of more deaths could have been imminent. Sometimes just reassuring an injured person while you wait on rescuers could be the difference between life and death.

This parade has been going on for nine years and the Veterans were to be honored for their sacrifices they made for our country. There was a crowd of people waiting on their arrival waving American flags. This ended up being a terrible and emotional event for all parties involved; the community and the families especially. 

The soldiers who were lost in the accident were: Marine Chief Warrant Officer 3 Gary Stouffer, 37; Army Sgt. Maj. Lawrence Boivin, 47; Army Sgt Joshua Michael, 34; and Army Sgt. Maj. William Lubbers, 43.

I read about soldiers all the time who lose their lives to accidents in the states even after numerous combat deployments. This is such a shame and it makes me think twice about how fragile life is. It is not predictable when we will leave this earth for good thus why I never take my life for granted. I have been on numerous deployments overseas and felt as if I have escaped death on more than one occasion. I encourage everyone who reads this to take a moment and think.  Never take your life for granted because it can be stripped away at any moment and live your life to its fullest.

Read more on this article at: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/11/18/lights-flashed-before-truck-entered-crossing-in-train-crash-officials-say/

Honoring Vets

Workout of the Week

During these rough times of mid-terms and such my gym time is the first thing that goes. I cannot slack on my school work because I need to hit the gym. First school, then gym, Arghhh. I know that's what I was thinking too. After all my hard work the past couple of months and then I got to take a week off, Noway...and that's why I kill myself with a workout of the week. I usually do these on a Saturday or Sunday. This is because not as many people are in the gym to get in my way. I'm all over the place. So, here we go again...

I started this Saturday morning with a friend of mine at North Shore Beach, on the inside of the Tampa Bay Pinellas County side, with a 1 hour session of paddle boarding.

After this, another one of my buddies and his friend met me at the beach park there and we did a 15 minute workout as follows:

1. Rope undulation workout.
2. Burpees!
3. Clean and jerk with 60 lb bag that has handles.

We each rotated through for a duration of 45 seconds until the buzzer went off at 15 minutes.
I then went off on a light two mile jog I have mapped out around my neighborhood. Well, that was enough for me and I was off to the Farmer's Market in St. Pete. After I showered, I was still sweating from this one. It took me an hour just to cool my body down, go try and see for yourself.

Sometimes I ask myself why I do this...Well, one reason is so when I enter myself into the Tough Mudder competition, I won't pass out, lol.
Check this out, coming to a location near you!

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=vh5HdPM_QuE

More Appreciation Shown for Veterans

I hope everyone had a great Veterans Day weekend. I know I did. I went to the Farmer's Market in downtown St. Pete on Saturday, went paddle boarding, and finished off with my free dinner Sunday night at Applebees. I'm not sure how with one other meal, a small appetizer and two beers made it a little over 30$ but it did. Anyways, there are still a number of restaurants that are showing their appreciation for Veterans on Monday.

Let's start with the Olive Garden. Olive Garden will have a small list of entrees that will be free for Veterans. This is for Monday, Nov. 12th, 2012 and some will also be giving out a free 10$ gift card for a future visit back.

 

The Golden Corral. I know what your thinking, not the best place in the world but the variety is amazing as well as the desserts. On Monday, Nov. 12th, from 4-9pm all Golden Corrals nationwide will be giving free dinners to any person who has ever served in the United States Military.

 



 

 

 

Another great place that was extending their appreciation for Vets from Sunday to Monday is BJ's Brewhouse.  A free lunch entree on Monday or mini/individual pizza one topping for dinner. Here's their flyer:

 

 

Just remember that all places will need some sort of proof: valid military ID, a DD 214, be in uniform, a Veterans card. Sometimes there can be a wait, I waited for 30 mins, but it really shows how many Veterans we do have in the United States. I was waiting anxiously thinking about all the different branches we have in the United States. I looked around and literally saw at least one from each branch at the Applebees I was going to eat at. It really didn't even matter the age, which nowadays varies from 80-20, we were all enjoying a meal together in our own way. I looked across the bar and got a nod from the looks of a 55 year old man with a Vietnam Vet hat on. He knew that I had served too.

 

From serving two years to 30 years, combat tour or not, we all have one thing in common and a respect for each other. We all raised our right hand to, "defend this country against all enemies, foreign and domestic."

 

 

 

 

 



Veterans Day and Free Stuff

Veterans Day is November 11th, Sunday but lucky for most federal employees get the holiday paid for on Monday the 12th. I wanted to let my fellow veterans know there are many free meal deals available on Veterans Day and on Monday the other day it's observed. There are a pretty good list of companies who are showing their gratitude toward Veterans this year.
Here we go:
The first one I would like to start off with is a free breakfast at Krispy Kreme which include a doughnut and a small coffee and lucky for us there is one on Kennedy. It's not a huge breakfast but it is free. This one takes place on Sunday the 11th Nov.

Applebees on Sunday the 11th will have a special menu for Veterans and current active duty soldiers. Be in uniform, have a current military ID, Veterans ID, your veterans organization card like VFW or American Legion, or DD 214.

The Golden Corral is also participating to anyone who has ever served in the military or current Soldiers. It will be held on Monday the 12th between 4pm-9pm. They will be giving out free meals.

The Olive Garden will be giving out free meals to Veterans and current active soldiers too. They too have a selected menu with certain entrees.

Denny's Veterans Day all you can eat pancakes. This will be from 6am-2pm.

Always call locations some might not participate and check for the dates in which they are having it. Some are on Sunday the 11th and some are on the 12th Monday.

 Stay tuned for more...

Workout of the Week

It's been awhile sorry but the National Guard and school work is keeping me busy as Hell along with trying to have some sort of life along with great workouts. Here is an example of a great workout:

1. Rope undulation, 10 sets at one minute each. I do this with a workout partner so we have a minute break in between each set.
2. Air squats with 20 lb med ball overhead. 4 sets of 25.
3. 2 mile run, add sprints. I usually add the sprints the last mile doing them from light pole to light pole. Then back to a light jog to the next light pole and so on every other one.

This completes the Workout of the Week. It's not to impossible to complete but if it seems too much you can always lighten up the times, sets or length of miles to jog. Stay motivated and Enjoy.

Weekend Out In the Field

Another drill weekend and I'm swamped with school work and a training class to be given Sunday afternoon. My class would be given on defensive positions on our mortars as well as the capabilities and limitations of them. No big deal, I had began writing stuff up during the week and just had to fine tune some things on Friday after my math class.

Friday was an extremely busy day though. After going all the way to USF from St. Petersburg, I had to return home in St. Petersburg to finish writing the material for my class, pack my gear for the weekend and pick up the house since I had Army gear spread all over the place like a hurricane went through here. I wanted to be in Central Florida by 1830 but that would mean I needed to leave my house by 1500 because I had promised to pick up a fellow soldier that lives close to Oldsmar. Not to far out of the way but we all know how the traffic in Tampa on Friday is; it is standing still in many places. If you don't get ahead of it, you will be slow moving just a little bit faster than my neighbor down the road and his rusty cane.

Everything ends up going well, I only left 15 minutes late but was still a little bit ahead of some still at work. By the time we needed to report, we were going to be leaving within two hours to an undetermined place somewhere out in the woods in Central Florida. Sounds creepy huh? This place is not on a military installation and there are civilians driving jacked-up trucks, small trucks and even a Chevy cavalier once in awhile will drive by. Just when I thought I'd seen it all, haha. It must have been close to the beginning of hunting season with dogs? I have seen more hunt dogs trapped in their cages in the back of too many trucks this weekend along with hearing them all howl half the night; I'm good for the year.

Well, we get out there and set up our headquarters supporting location along with picking up some ammo (blank rounds of course) and a much needed water buffalo. After things got set up, I was in my sleeping bag, under the stars, on the cold ground that was trying to suck the life out of me while I slept. The time was a dreadful 0230 Saturday morning and the wake up time of 0545 was coming quick. It was cool at night with temps down to the low 50s but during the day training in the hot sun with zero cloud coverage was sweltering.

I woke up and it barely was enough time, the 3 hours, to have any crust in the eyes but I washed and shaved my face to get ready for a long day of training.  I was heading over to do some training with another counterpart of mine from another company. The rest of my company was setting up for defensive ops. My training was a little bit different than theirs since my counterpart and I are mortarman, we were hitting the books reading over stuff on the procedures of Fire Direction Center. It is a lot of reading and found myself nodding off at times with the 3 hours of sleep. I ended up getting back to my camp by 1930 and yet the work was not done for the night.

Finally, I bedded down for the night around midnight. My eyes were blood shot and killing me since I had allergies flaring up before I even got out to the field. Our headquarters squad is fairly small so I had them put me on the radio watch list at 0200. Usually, the specialist and privates pull those duties but it doesn't bother me, we are lacking the personnel. It was not too dark since the moon was almost full, there was still some sort of peacefulness in the early morning. Along with some peacefulness came some strange noises that helped me stay awake that hour...

OK, 0530 comes quick when you don't want to get out of your warm and cozy sleeping bag with low 50s temp. I decided that the cold water from my canteen was not getting on my face to shave and waited til I got back to our armory. We had some cleaning of equipment to do, weapons maintenance and the NCO class I was giving still to complete on Sunday. All in all, the training weekend ended up being a success because again, we accomplished a lot of tasks in a short period of time.

With the 7 hours of sleep for the weekend, I knew the over two hour drive home was going to be a struggle to say the least. I had to drop off a soldier in my unit and ended up getting home by 1930. Tired as Hell, I fell asleep watching a late night football to finally see the score in the morning news. It's weird how a weekend that seemed so long can go by so fast. I just hope my next three weekends off will go by slow...

Workout of the Week

An old National Guard buddy of mine, I met in an Army Combative Course, called me up and said, "Let's go on a road march." I was thinking that I definitely needed to go on one especially with those 20 mph winds, hahaha. "It's good training," that's what I always say. We went out to Fort De Soto on the Pinellas County side by Tierra Verde. Man was it windy. Halfway down the beach and the other half on the trail head.
Things you'll need:

1. Ruck sack/Good hikers backpack.
2. Some good shoes/boots.
3. Water.
4. Motivation.

All in all, it was a beautiful afternoon out at Fort De Soto. The temperature was perfect and the sound of the waves crashing on the shore kept a sort of cadence in your mind. Set the timer for one hour, which ended up being one hour and fifteen minutes but who's counting. We estimated it was about five-six miles do to some jogging in there too. Grab your Ruck and enjoy.



I am Sorry

I am sorry for all the military families who have lost love ones to fighting for our freedom overseas. I too have lost fellow soldiers in my unit from terrorist attacks. I am sorry. Words cannot express the loss that no one in this world can feel. I'm sorry to the kids who have lost fathers or mothers do to combatants overseas. They will never have that parental figure there to take them to ball games or attend PTA meetings. I am sorry to the parents who have lost their children do to combatants. They too will not know if they would've ever had grand kids. I am sorry. I wonder why some soldiers make it back from overseas and others do not? Who decides these soldier's fate anyways? It's just not fair. Being deployed on three different occasions, I have been in some bad areas, sticky situations and my soldiers and I have made it home safe. What did I or they do different? I am sincerely sorry and know my apology cannot bring our troops back, may they all rest in peace...



Guard Units Getting Deployed

This year we have been tremendously lucky from mother nature but to end this hurricane season with the East Coast getting hammered is like no other. Hurricane Sandy, one of the nastiest storms to crash onto the East Coast, closing down transportation and forcing people to evacuate. It is also affecting the elections with President Obama cancelling trips to Florida as well as candidate Mitt Romney cancelling Monday and Tuesday.

With the storm coming in at full-speed ahead, there is another force closing in from the opposite way, more than 1,900 National Guardsman. I was watching the news and surfing the web and came across this story, "Troops mobilized for Hurricane Sandy."

The National Guard and Air Guard has deployed more than a half-dozen states' troops including one from California according to the National Guard Bureau. I was definitely standing by my phone just in case I got the "call." I have to be aware that I could be called up at any notice to assist other states in natural disasters, not just in Florida. I also have to make sure my home is disaster ready, not just for my family's safety but if I have to help other states out, I cannot be in two places at once and the Guard takes precedence.

From fighting fires in the Midwest, training exercises with soldiers in Mongolia, to rescuing and evacuating flood victims all over the United States, the National Guard has done immeasurable things home and across the globe. I have found myself doing many humanitarian missions with the Guard and it has been an eye-opening experience. At first, I will admit, I was annoyed to leave my home for this duty but since realized the people out there need help. It's been very rewarding over the years to have helped out hurricane victims and help people across the world to see the look on their faces. It was just "priceless."

To sum it up, the National Guard does not just do stateside missions; they do international missions too. They are there wherever you need them. Not supermen or superwomen but doctors, lawyers, carpenters and students like myself. I want to let people know, ordinary people, citizen soldiers are making huge impacts, not just in the U.S., but all around the globe.

Reinforcing key areas awaiting the devastation from Hurricane Sandy.



Veterans Seeking Employment

Attention to all Veterans and current service members. Raymond James Stadium will be hosting the Central Florida Military Resource Fair. This will be a great event for Veterans seeking employment, learn about VA benefits, health care and much more.

On Sunday Nov. 4th, from 12-4pm at Raymond James Stadium, this exclusive event to military members only and will be held in the East Club. The added bonus to being a part of this event is that it's FREE. Yep, FREE for you and your guest with a free food voucher too.

The Resource Fair will include:

• Career Fair with Federal, State and local employers
• Interview skills development and resume assistance
• On-site VA benefits and health care enrollment
• Flu shots and medical screening
• Opportunities to meet Tampa Bay Buccaneers Alumni and Cheerleaders
• Complimentary food vouchers for you and one guest

Another added bonus other than free entry and free food, Raymond James Stadium will be televising the Buccaneer vs. Oakland game immediately following the Resource Fair.

You will need to enter through Lot B off Himes Avenue and have your Military ID or your DD214. It would also be a great idea to have several copies of your resume. So remember, this is a FREE event, Nov. 4th, 12-4pm at Raymond James Stadium, East Club. For more information contact Kevin Farrell, at Kevin.Farrell1@va.gov. Thanks to the Tampa Bay Bucs and VA Medical Center for putting on this wonderful event. This couldn't come at a better time for Veterans seeking employment with Veterans Day around the corner. Thanks to all Veterans and God Bless America!

3rd Annual Veterans Week

As we all hopefully know, Veterans Day is Monday, November, 12th. Since it's on a Monday, the week prior to that USF Veterans Student Association will be holding the 3rd Annual USF Veterans Week. I want to put out some important information about the festivities that will be taking place during the week of Nov. 6th - 8th.
On Tuesday, November 6th at 10:45am in the MSC Amphitheater, will be the Veterans Day Ceremony. All are welcome to attend the ceremony honoring our women and men of all those who served in the Armed Forces. U.S. Army Ranger Maj. Jeff Struecker, retired, will be giving a speech at the ceremony too. He was the convoy leader in the Battle of Mogadishu, portrayed in the movie Black Hawk Down. The Major will also be doing a book signing after the ceremony.

On Wednesday, November 7th from Noon- 2:00pm in the MSC Amphitheater, this will be for all those who want to participate , eat or just love chili. It's the Chili Cook-Off and should be an exciting event. If you want to be in the running for the best chili you need to sign up by November 1st.
If you do not want to cook up a batch of chili, just do what I'm going to do, taste all the competitors chili, hahaha.

Lastly, On Thursday, November 8th, the Veterans Outreach Expo will take place from 10:00am-2:00pm ALN Courtyard which is outside the Office of Veterans Services. To all Veterans, active duty or reserve components, dependents, they will be going over veterans' benefits during this Expo. Also, you will be able to find out about military friendly employment, health care and much more. Don't forget before the holidays so your not sick as a dog, they are giving free flu shots for veterans too. I just had mine so no thank you. I hope to see you all out at any one of these events supporting our Vets especially the Chili Cook-Off, I know I'll be there.

Workout of the Week

It's that time again to carb-up a day prior and find some stored energy for this one. I had some amazing pasta with a spicy sauce and plenty of broccoli with a couple beers too, ah haha...
First thing first, You need to head to your gym, your buddies home gym or have your own set up for this:

1. Power Cleans- 4 sets of 10 @ 115 lbs.
2. Kettle bell swings- 4 sets @ 10 ea. arm 35 lbs.
3. Lunges- 4 sets @ 5 per leg with 25 lbs in ea. arm.

After I did four rounds of that ^, I did a mild chest workout involving only flat bench and incline dumbbell press. Workout follows:

1. Flat bench- 4 sets, 135lbs.-12reps, 185lbs.-10, 205lbs.-6, 225lbs.-4.
2. Incline dumbbell press- 3 sets, 65lbs.-12reps, 70lbs.-10, 85lbs.-8.

Just when I thought I was finished, I got back to my house and realized how beautiful it was outside Saturday. So, I decided to go out on my paddleboard for 45 mins and made that my last, but fun, workout of the day. Not only was I catching some rays, looking at crabs and fish in the flats but I was getting in my last workout on the water. What a way to take your mind off the pain. I just wish I had the time to get in a workout last week then I probably wouldn't have to do so much in one day, eh maybe. Until the next painful event...



Natural Disaster Ready?

Have you ever been out of food, water or power for any given amount of time? As hours go by and still no power, your supplies are lacking and panic begins to sink in. Being in the National Guard, I am always being reminded to be prepared for natural disasters in my home and for my family. It helps out tremendously to be prepared so that if you find yourself in a natural disaster, you won't get caught with your pants down.
If your in the National Guard, then you know it pays to be prepared since we normally get activated to pull hurricane duty which could take you away from your home of record. Luckily, I was ready in 2004, I had to help out in the small city of Destin, Fl which was devastated by hurricane Ivan.

I was reading my GX mag (the guard experience) and with still having over 30 days left of hurricane season, I thought it would be a great idea to share this article about 7 items you need to be disaster ready. Every house should be disaster ready especially living in the Tampa Bay area. We have had our share of flooding, tropical storms and hurricanes throughout our area.

1. Thirty? You should have enough water for at least three days. Make sure you have no less than a gallon of water per person per day. Purchased water is best but you can fill empty containers up with tap water too. It's still water and won't kill you.
2. Hungry? Have plenty of nonperishable foods for three days. These include canned foods, dry mixes and food that's not refrigerated. Examples are beef jerky, trail mixes, granola bars and maybe some MREs (Meals-Ready-to Eat) if your lucky like me. I saved some from training and they will last forever.
3. Crank Radio/Battery operated tunes. To have contact with the outside world and updated news, you will need a radio. The best case scenario is to have a hand crank radio. If not, a battery operated one is fine just as long as you have replacement batteries in case the ones in it are dead. I still have an old school alarm clock radio and never check the back-up battery. It's imperative to check and have back-ups. That reminds me...
4. Afraid of the dark? I hope not. You better have at least a couple flashlights on hand. And that being said, I will reemphasize checking the batteries and having spares on hand. They even have ones you can precharge by solar power or the ever trusty hand crank flashlight.
5. Cut yourself in the storm? A First-Aid Kit is a must. Make sure to have some gauze, medical tape, disposable gloves, antibiotic towelettes and ointment, adhesive bandages, eye wash solution, scissors and some pain relievers such as aleve or aspirin. If you have any prescription medication it would be a good idea to put some spare pills in this kit too.
6. Tools. You never know. A simple pair of pliers could help in the event you had to shut off a water pipe or a natural gas leak. Many explosions and fires happen after natural disasters. So gather up some pliers, vise grips, a couple different screwdrivers and possibly a hammer. You never know.
7. Some Miscellaneous gear. Some other key things that might be helpful are: Cleaning supplies, waterless shampoo, toilet paper, garbage bags and zip ties for sanitation, dust mask, and of course duct tape.

Now remember this is for a preparation for a natural disaster not a zombie apocalypse. In the case when a natural disaster strikes, be smart and go to the middle of your house away from windows or down to your basement. If you have family, you need to make sure everyone is on the same sheet of music as well as an evacuation plan in place and possible meet up location pre-determined. I know there is only some 40 days left of hurricane season but it is Florida and shit happens. Don't get caught with your pants down, be prepared for your sake and your family. For more insight, visit Ready.gov to help in your planning.

Not Another Drill Weekend

Yes, it is that time for drill weekend. It seems like it was last weekend, time flies when your having fun.  Sometimes it seems as if there is something exciting going on that one weekend of the month, that is the weekend I have drill. I'll get over it when the weekend is finished cause the benefits do pay off in the long-run.

Our first formation was just before the sun crested above the horizon on Saturday morning, it was an eye opener especially since I only got four hours of sleep the night before. My drive up to central Florida was about two hours but the traffic isn't bad that early in the morning probably from to peoples partying on Friday night.

Immediately following O' dark thirty formation, we had our record Army physical fitness test (APFT) for the new fiscal year. After four hours of sleep and my ass hurting from a two hour car ride, I was hoping these factors wouldn't affect my score or to use them as an excuse. Our APFT consist of push-ups, sit-ups and a two mile run. The push-up and sit-up portion are timed events in which you have two minutes to complete as many as you can do accurately. Not a big deal. The two mile run test your ability to complete the two miles after both preceding events in your best time possible. The Army has a score table with your age and gender which is where you get your points calculation. You must score at least 60 points in each event and can get a total of 300 points. I scored 284 out of the 300 so I need to improve my score a little bit more for a perfect APFT.

After the APFT followed by a hot shower and rewarding Burger King breakfast, I knew was a long day of "death by power point" slides. Our Saturday was going to consist of mandatory Suicide Prevention Training. You might ask yourself why we would need this training? There has actually been an increase in suicides over the past years in the military, especially the Army. The chart below will show this:

 

The Army, and military in general, does have a program; however, it just doesn't seem to be working. I believe some of the video and reenactments are good but think some soldiers don't take it seriously. If leaders preach to their soldiers the importance of suicide prevention, it will promote a healthy relationship with their soldiers and make them more open if a situation may arouse. To be more open, it will be easier for soldiers to ask for help when they are at an all time low. Also, this may help lower enlisted soldiers become better leaders relaying the information thus making the chain of suicides decrease. If soldiers are able to be open and honest with each other without a feeling of backlash, soldiers will have less fear when crying out for help.

 

On to the next set of task, Sunday was a busy day as well prepping for November's drill conducting defensive operations training. I was able to sit down with my soldiers and go over what we will be implementing in November. After going over some Ops, I was taking part in a Soldier of the Year board in the later afternoon. A selected amount of soldiers were notified the previous month that they were going to this board. The board consist of questions ranging from uniforms, fitness, weapons and military history for example. Overall, it went alright but you could tell a few who only studied the night before.

 

Well, with APFT, Suicide Prevention, defensive ops, and Soldier of the Year board we barely had enough time to clean up and get out of there at a decent time Sunday. I still had to take a soldier home which would add a half hour to my 2 hour trip. I made it home safe around 7:30 pm as did my soldiers; mission complete.



Workout of the Week

OK, you might be wondering why I like to post a workout of the week? Well, along with a couple of my workout partners help, my intent is to give people innovative ways to change things in their own routine to keep your muscles guessing. Another great reason, I usually put myself out for a day or two after one of these workouts. So if I know I am going to be busy for any next up coming days, I will do one of these "workout of the week" routines because they will torment you and make you extremely sore.

Here we go again, I started this Sunday early morning approximately 9:05 with a basic chest workout follows:

1. Flat Bench- 135lbs, 20 reps- 185,12- 205,10- 225,8
2. Incline Dumbbell Press- 70lbs,10 reps- 80,10- 90,8 
3. Cable Flys- 40lbs, 15 reps- 50,12- 50,12

I completed this in about 20 minutes. Now, on to the next routine for three rounds.

1. Pull-up burpees- @ 5 reps
2. Dead lifts- 185lbs, 10 reps
3. Kettle bell swings alt. arms 10 reps ea. arm

Remember you can do the above for a set time or a certain amount of rounds. I did three rounds of it. There are little to no breaks in between just enough for a sip of water or to catch your breath. Oh, I also did ten minutes of Abs after. Here are a couple of videos for some demonstrations.

Kettle bell swing demonstration.

Burpee pull-up for those who don't know.



Killers Trial Postponed do to Facial Hair

Come on, seriously. Do you remember the Fort Hood shooting November of 2009? I do but if you do not let me refresh your memory. 13 deaths and 32 people wounded. Maj. Nidal Hasan went on a shooting rampage in Fort Hood, Texas. One of the main reasons I remember this so well, I was in and around the building in Fort Hood, Texas where this tragic event took place a month and a half later. I was processing into Fort Hood with my Guard unit from Florida getting ready for a deployment. The security was quite stiff but I don't blame them at all.

Maj. Nidal Hasan, a military psychiatrist, opened up firing on innocent soldiers at the processing center on the Army base in Texas. This was a complete and utter tragedy. I thought this guy was already put away as I'm sure you folks did too. Well, that's not the case at all. His trial has been put on hold until further notice. You may ask why? Hasan tells the judge, "Your honor, in the name of almighty Allah, I am a muslim. I believe that my religion requires me to wear a beard. The problem with this is Army regulations prevent soldiers from wearing beards while in uniforms; Hasan is still considered a soldier, unfortunately. The Army courts says it will be delayed until they can figure a way to forcibly shave his beard off.

I believe the small technicality of his beard should not be an issue compared to the innocent soldiers he shot and killed. I'm sure about four to five military police can figure out a way to shave his face. He wasn't playing by any rules of the U.S. military so why should they when it comes to his trial? This guy is just trying to postpone the inevitable, his death.

CNN news stated that Hasan was a U.S.- born citizen of Palestinian descent and joined the Army as a psychiatrist in 1997. They also stated that he has been taunted since the September 11th attack in 2001 and was scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan before the killings. Hasan was paralyzed was from the waist down after the horrific event.

This poor excuse for a human, regardless of his race or religion, should be convicted and sentenced to death for killing and injuring innocent people. Beard or not? Relevant, you be the judge.

To beard or Not to Beard? It shouldn't matter.

Get Off the Couch

I'm tired of people complaining about the elections and not getting out of their homes to utilize the rights we have earned. Get off your Couch and do something, yeah, I said it. Too many people have such negative comments about either party but actually don't get out and vote. Regardless of which party you are voting for, it is always good to go see a rally especially before the coming election for the presidency.

I had the opportunity after class Friday to see Mitt Romney's rally in St. Petersburg. I was standing there in the middle of the crowd, people waving the American flag, just thinking about the freedom we have to be able to attend such event. I was amazed by the diversity of the crowd and everyone seeming to have the same thing on their minds. I was also proud when Romney asked for all the Veterans or current military to raise their hand and it seemed like it was 30 percent of the crowd. It probably was only 1-2 percent but it looked like more. Being in the military myself and attending an event like this, it takes me back in time. I was just thinking about all of our U.S. soldiers in the past who fought for our freedoms we have today.

Romney mentioned a story of a lady who lost her son that was a soldier fighting in Afghanistan. They were attending his funeral to celebrate his life but there was something not right going on outside. This church organization was protesting outside at this soldier's funeral. Are you serious? That can't be. Romney asked this lady, "What was your take on the protesters outside." The lady said, "My son fought for their freedom to be able to protest." This lady is very true but a little bit more reserved than what I would've said. I would've given them a peace of my mind, anyways...

Even though many would say the church's actions are wrong, they were exercising within their rights of freedom of speech. In contrast, whether you are going to see a presidential rally or engaging in a protest, you need to get off your couch to do so. How can you comment or make an argument on aything if you don't get out to try and make a change. Next time you think it's just some lame rally or boring political event, you should think about the men and women who had to fight till death for us to be able to partake in these events. After all, that's what this nation was built on, democracy and Freedom. Think about it...

Sacrifice

"Without fear there is no courage."

A tattoo on the back of U.S. Army Sgt James Wilkes of Rochester, NY. It is seen through his torn army combat shirt after a foot patrol on Saturday, May 8, 2010, Afghanistan's Kandahar province, claimed by Alan Lessig with military times. (AP photo/Julie Jacobson)

 

How would you get rid of your friend's hiccups?

...Would you have them drink water upside down? Would you tell them to hold their breath for as long as they can?, that usually works...How about having them do jumping jacks? Or maybe try to scare them by pretending to shoot them in the face? Whoa, sounds a little absurd or extreme? Well, if we could ask Private first class Isaac Lawrence Young, we would...

Carroll Smith from the Texas police department stated, "Pfc Myers did try to scare his fellow comrade with a gun, pointed in his face, pulled the trigger to scare him, eventually to get rid of hiccups." The very tragedy of this action is that the gun was loaded and he killed his comrade. Yes, that is correct; Myers killed his fellow comrade. Pfc Myers is being charged with manslaughter for his deathly action.

Pfc Myers, Pfc Young and a third soldier were hanging out, drinking alcohol and watching Sunday night football, reported by CNN. This is when Myers tried to scare the hiccups out of Pfc Young. If Myers was trying to cure his comrade's hiccups, he did and in doing so a young soldier is dead.

Anyone who has been following my blog will remember my report on, "Don't Be That Guy." Well, if you have not, it states, "when everything is going well there is bound to be one soldier that makes an idiotic mistake." This is where "Don't Be That Guy" comes from. You do not want to be that guy who makes a serious mistake. We know that Pfc Myers is "that guy."

Pfc Young has only been in the Army for 16 months and at Fort Hood, TX since October 2011, stated by the Army. He was 22 years old, from Missouri, and a motor transport operator. Young's name said it all. He was too young to die and this tragedy never should have happened. I have said it before; we already lose too many soldiers overseas fighting terrorist than to lose them in the states to stupid actions.

I wish that before the few soldiers, who make stupid mistakes, would read a couple of my blogs thus save some costly mistakes and soldier's lives.

Workout of the Week

Get your Boots on...ok, if you don't have any then put on your new balance minimus shoes. Don't have any then you better go get a pair, one of the few shoes I know that are Made in America and great for all types of training.

1. 4 Mile Ruck-Run, Grab your rucksack or a nice hiking pack that can handle at least 30 lbs. Walking not authorized.
2. Get up your Rope- 6 rope climbs, if you do not have a rope you can order one here.

I recommend at least 18' that way you have 2-3' for use of tying up a tree approx. 15' high will be sufficient enough. If you do not want to wait for your rope you can wrap a towel around a pull-up bar. This will work but you have to do 6 of the towel pull-ups to equal 1 one climb, you do the math...

Review on Bobby Thompson's true identity

I was reading an article by Kris Hundley and John Martin of the Tampa Bay Times and came across this disturbing headline. It read, "Navy Veteran Scam." I thought to myself, I have got to read this. Turns out that a man going by the name of Bobby Thompson, or Mr. X, was running a Navy Veterans charity organization based out of Tampa. The problem is that he said he was a Navy veteran but never was. I don't know about you but I have a problem with this. Veterans go through a lot and to have someone claim they are a veteran is an absolute shame.

The man by the name of John Donald Cody, using the alias of Bobby Thompson or Mr. X, was a University of Virginia and Harvard grad. He has swindled over $100 million dollars from people that thought he was helping out veterans and their families. In fact, a very little bit of the money was going to any veteran's fund. He was funding special GOP dinner parties and hanging out with political bigwigs, in addition taken photos with political leaders like Sen. John McCain, President George W. Bush, and Ohio Rep. John Boehner.

John Donald Cody with George W. Bush.

This low-life con-man has been wanted since 1987 for various reasons like fraud, espionage and stealing 99,000 from two of his clients in Arizona. U.S. Marshall Pete Elliot states,"We always knew there was a reason Thompson signed his name as Mr. X and did not want to be identified, now we know why." Through persistence and dedication, Mr. Elliot helped get this scumbag off the streets putting him in prison where he belongs.

John Donald Cody where he belongs.

 

An ABC news ad stated, "Cody modeled his life from the blockbuster hit Catch Me if You Can," and found a personal copy of it with his belongings when he was captured. I guess he was not that smart after all. Cody is currently being held in custody at Cleveland, Ohio where he awaits trial.

Cody is a disgrace. I believe for ripping off millions of dollars from innocent people he should be put in prison for the rest of his life. Also, a person like this man does not respect our country nor the young men and women who protect our freedom. I really wish I could give this guy a piece of my mind.

9/11 Memorial

This weekend I had the pleasure to take a trip up to Manhattan. I had no idea or plan of attack for sightseeing but I did know I would not leave without seeing the 9/11 Memorial.

It was not the easiest thing to navigate through this hectic city and streets/buildings under construction; however, I would never give up. I followed signs from Staten Island Ferry and had to walk passed the entrance up four blocks where the give you a free ticket. The one thing people did not tell me is that you get a reservation time. We picked up our tickets at 1:30pm and had a reservation time of 4:00pm. Well, I decided to take a trip up at the opposite end of Manhattan and go to FAO Schwarz along with Central Park.

The time has come and it was 3:30pm, I was feeling like a New Yorker with my hand out at the side of the road catching a cab. Holy crap this place is a mad house but if you need a ride the cabs are everywhere. I had the cabby drop us off in front of the entrance and I made it with 5 minutes to spare. The place is surrounded with security and police officers at every point and do believe they ask for my ticket at least 3 times. I was pretty amazed with the level of security; it was like going through airport security. It's very understandable considering the fact of what happened in 2001 and why I was there in the first place; to honor those families and fallen individuals from a terrorist attack.

When I walked in and first heard the water falls of the memorial, I stopped and was taken back. It felt as if time stood still and very hard to explain. Anyone who has been deployed before will understand where I am coming from. I slowly walked up to the first plaque of names I saw and touched it. Staring into the falls, it was just breathtaking. As I walked down the line touching the engraved names on every plaque, I got to a corner of the falls. At that moment, I broke down. It kind of hit me in my heart, being a soldier and deployed many times, what this site was all about. There are sometimes where you cannot control your emotions and I realized then it was my time.

Do to what happened that dreadful day of September 11, 2001, I was deployed to Afghanistan in support for Operation Enduring Freedom. This is one of the main reasons why I wanted to visit this memorial and pay my respects to the innocent who lost their lives that day and thereafter because of terrorist attacks. I did pay my respects not just in donations but in tears that day.

I recommend anyone who has not been to the 9/11 Memorial site to go. It was so peaceful and relaxing and will take your breath away as it did mine...

Drill Weekend

Another exciting Drill Weekend! Well, I may be over exaggerating a little bit...Thought I would fill in those followers who have no clue what could go on during a national guard weekend. After a long month of our annual training in August, followed by the week of the Republican National Convention, there is actually many things for recovery we have to get completed in just two days. Soldiers on active duty get a week to do what we have to do in just two days.

Weapons maintenance is one of our first and main priorities. Of course, because without a functioning weapon how could you be a soldier...right? Along with the maintenance and cleaning of our weapons, we have to make sure they are still working properly an annotate any new deficiencies that may have aroused. To accomplish this task and other key equipment, It could possibly take up a whole day.

Another set of task, when we are not out in the field training, we have mandatory administrative stuff to complete. This is what we usually called "death by powerpoint." This month was mandatory sexual harrasment prevention training. I know you are wondering why we have to do this. Well, to be honest with you, every soldier does need sexual harrassment prevention training. It happens more than you would think in the military and not just guy assaulting girls either. It is a simple online course that you can complete on your own time but unfortunately some soldiers like to wait until the last minute.  I was personally task to walk soldiers through this tedious tutorial to help them enroll and complete the course. Sometimes the adminstrative stuff can be a hassle but still a very important key task that, even though are monotonous, are very beneficial and well needed.

To conclude this past weekend training, it definately was not one of my favorite drill weekends but overall a lot was accomplished. Sometimes people do wonder and ask me what we really do on drill weekends. Well, your taxes are not being wasted, we actually train hard and accomplish many tasks as you can see from above. Included from above but not limited too, field training, hurricane support, and overseas deployments, despite to popular belief, the national guard does work. Until next drill weekend...

Getting the Word out

I was told to help get the word out! This is what I am going to do because it's the right thing to do. It's for the VFW's Voice of Democracy Scholarship competition. This scholarship is for young patriotic American students grades 9-12th and the first prize would be $30,000. I do need help to get this out to our high school students, teachers, youth groups, parent-teacher assoc., and school boards. The deadline to send an audio-essay to VFW post is November 1st, 2012. So don't Delay.

The topic, "Is Our Constitution still Relevant?" Let's get the word spread and get some scholarships out to these patriotic kids! To download the entry form click here.Thank you for helping out.

Workout of the week

Head to your gym now! This workout routine will hold you over for a couple of days.

1. Power cleans, reps -21,15,9,6. I just used 95lbs but use the weight you are able to for the complete workout.
2. Dips, reps 21,15,9,6. You will do a set of power cleans then go directly to the dips right after and so on.

That's it for this portion of the workout. Next:

1. Paddleboard for one hour. You can pretty much go out to any water source with a paddleboard.

It's fun but will work your core out as well as your stabilizers. Nevermind that, it's a total body workout! My buddy is starting his own paddleboard company and if your interested in test rides or workouts on them let me know.


Last but not to add too much fun:

1. Carry a 60lb bag overhead and walk 40 meters.
2. Rope undulation approx. 35 ft rope wrapped around base of a tree.
3. Modified mountain climbers.

The last 3 exercises you can set a time you want to do all 3 in and continue to rotate through each exercise. It works well with 2 other partners also. Or, you can just do 5 rounds of it for example. I did it for 20 mins and that was good enough...lol. I was feeling great after but not sure about tomorrow!, Ask me later...ENJOY!

Veterans Entrepreneur Expo

To all military members and veterans out there! Are you tired of losing the employment war? Wanting to make a change in your life...Do you have some ideas of possibly starting up your own business? Well, I was sent an email from my unit with the National Guard about a Veteran Entrepreneurs' Expo. It will give you all the information and professional guidance for free! Yes, F-R-E-E. Sounds good doesn't it. Well here's the scoop:

• WHO: Current and Veteran military members and their family.

• WHERE: St. Petersburg Marriot Clearwater, 12600 Roosevelt Blvd., St. Petersburg, FL 33716

• WHEN: October 6th, 2012. 9am-4pm

• WHY: Well one, because its free! Two, it provides valuable information and guidance on how to start a business. Also, you will get connected with SCORE, it's a non-profit organization that holds free workshops and mentoring service to entrepreneurs.

For more information go to www.scorepinellas.org and click veterans page.

U.S. military suspends joint patrols with Afghans review

Suspend our joint training which helps out the Afghan National Army! What?! This is crazy...I was reading this disturbing information from an article on CBS news this past evening. The article states,"they are suspending most of the joint training with the Afghan National Army and police due to insider attacks." That is the Afghans we are training, our allies, turning their guns on NATO forces and killing them. Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey stated, "the surge in insider attacks a very serious threat to the campaign."

I'd have to agree 100% with General Dempsey especially since we have been training their soldiers for the past ten years but need to weed out these infiltrators. However, our main existence there is to train and mentor their Army so they can take over. If this is suspended that would mean our soldiers can all come home...Right? No. We already lose enough soldiers to accidents, IEDs and fighting off the Taliban so we especially don't need to deal with "insider attacks." It almost feels as if we have to go in reverse to fix this issue. Furthermore, I do not want to say for the last ten years what my fellow comrades and I have done was a waste of time and did not make a difference...because it did.

I feel if we back out all our troops now and leave then the Taliban would have won this war on terrorism. Let's take a step back from this serious threat, re cock and go back to what we originally planned on doing...Mentoring and training their Army so our soldiers can finish their job, fight terrorism in their home not ours and get home safely.

I hope our Commanding Officers will resolve this very tragic issue ASAP and get back to business as we cannot lose anymore soldiers to "insider attacks." I pray for all the soldiers who put their heart and soul in the support for Operation Enduring Freedom as well as the families of soldiers who never made it home...

You can read this full article at  http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-57514546/u.s-military-suspends-joint-patrols-with-afghans/