Basic Training in the Military Can be Very Tough and Yet Very Rewarding.

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Military news…

Russian strike on Ukraine’s Odesa badly damages landmark Orthodox cathedral; 1 dead, many wounded

Four children were among those wounded in the blasts, which severely damaged 25 landmarks across the city, including the historic Transfiguration Cathedral.

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WWII veteran and legendary singer Tony Bennett dies at 96
Before Tony Bennett had an impressive singing career, he served his country in WWII.

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North Korea fires 2 short-range ballistic missiles after US submarine arrives in South Korea

North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into its eastern sea, according to South Korea’s military, adding to a recent streak in weapons testing that is apparently in protest of the U.S. sending major naval assets to South Korea in a show of force.

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Moscow, Crimea hit by Ukrainian drones while Russian forces bombard Ukraine’s south

Russian authorities accused Ukraine of launching a drone attack on Moscow early Monday that saw one of the aircraft fall near the Defense Ministry’s main headquarters, while the Russian military unleashed new strikes on port infrastructure in southern Ukraine.

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US Sending More Warships, Marines to Gulf to Counter Iran’s Efforts to Seize Commercial Ships

The U.S. is sending additional warships and thousands of Marines to the Middle East to increase security after attempts to seize commercial ships there.

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Many of us have stories about our drill sergeants in basic training. I am no different.

I enlisted in 1959, and was sent to Ft Ord California, which is now closed. I enlisted with two buddies and we were in Basic together.

My first adventure with my drill Sgt, Sgt MacDonald was in the first week. He came barking into our barracks yelling us to attention. He was looking possessed! He stop in front of every soldier and screamed. He tore beds apart. He called guys names.

After he left we all felt dumbfounded.

That was just the beginning. He marched us and marched us for hours. He sent many guys to KP, and clean-up duty.

My personal dealing with him was brutal at first. He ordered me out of the barracks one night, and told me to dig a hole. When I was done, he threw a cigarette in it and told me to cover it up. When I was finished he told me to dig it up again.

I never got angry our upset. I knew he was just training me to be tough.

He sent me to KP more times than I can remember.

Towards the end of basic. He let up a little. Then he even named me soldier of the month. Later he nominated me for the honor guard.

I finally asked him why he was treating me so good. He said, “You never once looked upset or angry. I like that in a good soldier.”

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I am in the process of interviewing a submariner. Not just any submariner, but a nuclear submariner. Incredible interview. This should be enough to buy my upcoming book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the trenches of life.

I also talked to a Vietnam veteran who is deciding if he will allow me to interview him. He has an amazing story. (He had a bayonet go through both legs in an one on one fight.

Keep coming back to find what new interviews I may be having.

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Checking in on you. How are you doing? Is everything going OK, or are you fighting back memories?

FEAR NOT!

There are over 15,219 Veterans on this site who have your back.

If you are battling mentally, but you are losing, GET HELP!!

Here is a toll free number that you can call 24/7. There are highly qualified counselors there to help you, and they will not hang up until they know you are OK.
1-800-273-8255…texting 838255.

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up.

+Now there is an easier way to get help. Just dial 988, and you will have help ready for you.

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+If you like what you see, please subscribe at the top of this page where it says, “subscribe.” When you do, all future posts will come directly to your inbox. Also, if you know some else who could benefit from this site, please let them know.

Russian Advance in Bakhmut, Ukraine Could Come With Heavy Losses.

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Military ne

UK: Russian advance in Bakhmut could come with heavy losses

Russian forces have made progress in their campaign to capture the city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, the focus of the war’s longest ground battle, but their assault will be difficult to sustain without more significant personnel losses, British military officials said Saturday.

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Pentagon puts priority on replacing munitions in 2024 budget
The Pentagon’s $170 billion procurement request for the new fiscal year focuses on replacing munitions supplied to Ukraine as well as well as weapons like long-range missiles, which would be necessary in a conflict with China, according to an internal budget document.

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Russian advance stalls in Ukraine’s Bakhmut, think tank says

The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War said there were no confirmed advances by Russian forces in Bakhmut.

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US sanctions Chinese firms linked to Iranian drones used by Kremlin against Ukraine

The Treasury Department says the five Chinese firms used shell companies to hide sales of components used in production of the Shahed-136 unmanned aerial vehicles that the US believes Iran has exported to Russia.

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The Wagner Group is losing so many fighters in Bakhmut that it’s launching a recruitment drive

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When I was through with basic training I was sent to Ft Devens, Mass for training. I rode a train from Portland, Oregon, all across the upper United States. It was a wonderful ride, full of scenery.

When we got close to Ft. Devens, we knew that we had to get of at Worchester, Mass. Well, when the cabin attendant came through he announced the next stop as Woooster. We figured that wasn’t our stop, but it was. The Massachusetts language was somewhat different than what we were used to.

We then were told that we should have gotten off at the last stop. We got off at the next stop and my buddies relatives had to come and pick us up there.

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I had the privilege to meet a Vietnam veteran while shopping for groceries. I seem to have the knack to find them. This guy is a true hero. His name is Milt Hoch. He had three tours in Vietnam. He didn’t have to. He chose to.

He was in intense fighting, even face to face fighting. He was once stabbed through both legs at once with a bayonet. He was still able to kill the enemy and survive.

I have an interview with him in my upcoming book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life. It is riveting.

Keep coming back to hear about other heroes. Better yet…go to the top of this page and click on subscribe. When you do all future posts will go directly to your inbox.

_______________________________________________________________

Checking in on you. How are you doing? Is everything going OK, or are you fighting back memories?

FEAR NOT!

There are over 15,219 Veterans on this site who have your back.

If you are battling mentally, but you are losing, GET HELP!!

Here is a toll free number that you can call 24/7. There are highly qualified counselors there to help you, and they will not hang up until they know you are OK.
1-800-273-8255…texting 838255.

______________________________________________________________

Remember:


You are never alone.


You are never forsaken.


You are never unloved.


And above all…never, ever, give up.

+Now there is an easier way to get help. Just dial 988, and you will have help ready for you.

+If you like what you see, please subscribe at the top of this page where it says, “subscribe.” When you do, all future posts will come directly to your inbox. Also, if you know some else who could benefit from this site, please let them know.

The Military Doesn’t Have to be Serious All of the Time.

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Military news…

Injured Marine recalls deadly Kabul suicide blast as House Republicans scrutinize Afghanistan withdrawal
Sgt. Tyler Vargas-Andrews said his unit had warned commanders that they saw two suspects in the chaotic crowd outside Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport on Aug. 26, 2021, that fit a description flagged by U.S. intelligence, but the Marines were denied permission to shoot.

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Troops up for 5.2% pay hike under White House’s $886B defense budget request
The White House’s $6.8 trillion funding request for fiscal 2024, which begins Oct. 1, includes $842 billion specifically for the Defense Department, representing a $26 billion increase to the amount appropriated by Congress last year.

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North Korea fires short-range missile ahead of US joint military drills with South

North Korea fired its fifth ballistic missile of the year after U.S. intelligence officials assessed that the communist regime had “no intention of abandoning” its weapons program.

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The Russian military is so low on ammo that troops are reduced to fighting with e-tools
“One of the reservists described being ‘neither physically nor psychologically’ prepared for the action.”
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Ukrainian Pilots in Arizona Working With US Military Pilots

According to defense officials, while Ukrainians aren’t flying planes, U.S. military pilots are assessing their skills and familiarizing them with new aircraft equipment like the F-16. This comes as President Zelenskyy repeatedly asked the U.S. for F-16s, but the Biden administration has resisted.

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Not all moments in the military have to be serious. During my basic training I had an incident that I love to tell others about.

We were just finished with our firing range training, and our sergeant that was suppose to march us back to our barracks had to leave. He asked a Warrant officer to march us back.

Before he came over to us we decided to follow the rules of orders when he took over. That meant he had to say things exactly like a sergeant would say to get us moving.

He came before us and said, “Ok guys let’s get into formation.” No one moved. He tried two more times, and then he went to another sergeant to asked what he should say. The sergeant told him, and we go into formation when he said the right thing.

The he tried to get us to start marching he said, “Start marching,” No movement. He tried to do this several times,and had to ask that same sergeant what he should say. He then told us, “Forward march.”

We started marching. Eventually we came to a spot that we had to turn, or we would walk into the bay. He said, “Let’s turn here to avoid the water. We kept marching. We got to the edge of the water and he yelled, “Stop!” We kept going and the first part of the platoon was in the water. he was panicked, and called for help for another sergeant. The sergeant yelled “Halt.”

We stopped, but by that time we were all in the water, laughing our heads off.

We finally got back to the barracks and the company commander had us get into formation. He chewed us out for what we had done, and then you could see he was smiling as he walked back to his office.

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I had the privilege to meet a Vietnam veteran while shopping for groceries. I seem to have the knack to find them. This guy is a true hero. His name is Milt Hoch. He had three tours in Vietnam. He didn’t have to. He chose to.

He was in intense fighting, even face to face fighting. He was once stabbed through both legs at once with a bayonet. He was still able to kill the enemy and survive.

I have an interview with him in my upcoming book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life. It is riveting.

Keep coming back to hear about other heroes. Better yet…go to the top of this page and click on subscribe. When you do all future posts will go directly to your inbox.

_______________________________________________________________

Checking in on you. How are you doing? Is everything going OK, or are you fighting back memories?

FEAR NOT!

There are over 15,219 Veterans on this site who have your back.

If you are battling mentally, but you are losing, GET HELP!!

Here is a toll free number that you can call 24/7. There are highly qualified counselors there to help you, and they will not hang up until they know you are OK.
1-800-273-8255…texting 838255.

______________________________________________________________

Remember:


You are never alone.


You are never forsaken.


You are never unloved.


And above all…never, ever, give up.

+Now there is an easier way to get help. Just dial 988, and you will have help ready for you.

______________________________________________________________

+If you like what you see, please subscribe at the top of this page where it says, “subscribe.” When you do, all future posts will come directly to your inbox. Also, if you know some else who could benefit from this site, please let them know.

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