The Loss of a Buddy During Your Time in the Military is Hard at Best

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My last post caused quite a stir. Talking about suicide is not an easy thing to do, but when 22 veterans take their own lives EACH day then we need to reach out.

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Military news…

It’s a bad day for one Missouri bar after a video went viral over the weekend of a bartender berating a group of six service members who tried to get drinks with their military identification card. The bartender, identified as Josh Weitkamp, refused to serve them, appeared to bend and throw away one of the service members’ military IDs, told them they “don’t even look old enough to know about f—ing 9/11” and then denied that they were in the military at all, which is funny because at least a few have been to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Hazing is always terrible, especially when it involves being tied up to a target. Hazing is always terrible, especially when it involves being tied up to a target on a live-fire range while fighter planes drop ordnance near you for 20 minutes. But that’s what one French Air Force pilot said his fellow aviators put him through in March 2019. The pilot recently filed a criminal complaint because he felt the French military was not taking the matter seriously enough.

‘Wait, they just now started doing this?’ is a perfectly reasonable reaction that the 18th Airborne Corps wants anyone found guilty of sexual assault or harassment to be immediately separated from the Army. But it’s true: the new policy marks a major departure from how such crimes are handled elsewhere in the service, and it’s a direct result of soldier feedback to their leadership.

Remember that scene from The Matrix where Neo orders up a big honkin’ arsenal of virtual guns? Well that’s what the deck of the USS Monterey looked like last week. After the Navy ship stopped a small boat in the North Arabian Sea that was chock full of Type 56 assault rifles, PKM machine guns, sniper rifles, rocket propelled grenades and kaboodles of other kinds of firepower. In fact, the cache was so large it took the crew 36 hours to unload all of it.

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One of the many things that sticks out in my mind about my time in the military was the loss of lives during peacetime.

In my book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life, I wrote about two buddies I lost while in Korea. Neither one of them were in combat.

The first one was a buddy that I signed up with to get into the military. We went through basic together. We went through MOS training together, and was sent to Korea together.

When we got there, he was sent to another part of Korea. Things went Ok for a few months until I was notified that he had died from some kind of crud he caught there.

I couldn’t believe it. He died from an illness? I found out it happens a lot in foreign countries. I still think about him to this day.

The second incident was right in my own company at Camp Red Cloud, outside of Uijeongbu, Korea.

A close buddy had been drinking heavily, and went out into the village to be with a girl. He was coming back to the Camp, and he was staggering very badly. He could hardly walk.

As he was walking he fell into a “honey bucket.” A honey bucket is where the locals keep their human waste for fertilizer. It is about seven feet across. My buddy actually suffocated.

We had no idea it had happened until our morning formation the next morning. I noticed a gap where he was suppose to be in the ranks. I didn’t think much about it. However, the company commander came out and announced that he had died the night before.

We all were in shock. He was a good guy that everyone liked.

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These and many other stories like them will be in the book that will come out this fall. Be sure to follow this site to see the latest on the book.

Better yet, subscribe now by clicking on the subscribe button at the top of this page. You won’t have to come back here to find out more. It will be sent straight to your inbox each time I post.

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How are you doing? Did you lose a buddy while in the military? It is hard at best to even think about it.

FEAR NOT!!

There are more than 11,800 fellow veterans subscribed to this site who have your back.

BUT! If you heart is broken, and you need further assistance, GET HELP!

Here is a toll free number you can call 24/7.

There are highly qualified counselors there to help you. They will not hang up until they know you are OK. AND IT IS FREE!

Never face another day that causes you to hurt.

1-800-273-8255 Option # 1

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

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Some Soldiers Had to Faced Bullying While in the Military

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Military news...

“If the Marine Corps is serious about fixing its failed safety culture, it must start by holding its top leadership accountable.” That’s from Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) in response to the news that the Marine Corps had suspended its Inspector General, Maj. Gen. Robert Castellvi, after an investigation found him partially responsible for the July 30 sinking of an amphibious assault vehicle that killed eight Marines and one sailor, Jeff Schogol reports. It was the disaster was the worst training accident in moA man disqualified from joining the Army allegedly returned and shot up the recruiting stationdern Marine Corps history, and it could have been prevented if leaders like Castellvi made sure Marines had basic safety skills like underwater egress training.

“It was a train wreck,” one unnamed person told Army investigators about the breakdown in communication between Fort Hood, the media, the general public and the family of Spc. Vanessa Guillén after the soldier went missing in April, 2020. That quote is part of a new, incredibly detailed report that lays bare both the Army’s failure to communicate and its mismanagement of the investigation into Guillén’s disappearance and death.

US troops leaving Somalia for elsewhere in East Africa.

A man disqualified from joining the Army allegedly returned and shot up the recruiting station.

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When I was a young boy about six years old, I had a bully that was after me on every recess. He would push me down, and harass me constantly. I wasn’t sure why the people on duty didn’t see it, but it happened.

I decided I must be a failure. He knew he had me under his control. I made up excuses not to go on recess. I didn’t share with my teacher what was going on. I was too afraid.

So why I am telling you this?

I look back on that time a lot. I was ashamed about it, and didn’t want to talk to anyone about it.

Now as I Look back I wish I would have done this.

I should have attacked him with everything I had in me. I probably got my tail kicked, because he was much bigger than me. However, it would have sent him a message that I was going to do that from now on.

I am sure the on duty people would have seen the commotion, and stopped it. Then The principal may have done something to the bully.

Where did I get brave? In the military. They taught to defend myself. They taught me how to shoot. They taught me discipline.

This made me a changed man. No one can bully me now. I will get in their face.

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I have a story about my time under my drill sergeant in Basic training. Talk about bullying. This guy had it out with me every day. The funny thing is that we became very good friends by the end of basic. Read my upcoming book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life, to see what actually happened.

Coming out this fall.

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How did your time go during your service? Did you have some bullies? Were their times you felt overwhelmed?

FEAR NOT!

You have over 11,350 fellow veterans here who have your back.

But! If the world is turning too fast for you, GET HELP!!

Here is a toll free number to call 24/7.

There are highly qualified counselors there to help you. They will not hang up until they know you are OK.

Don’t take on those bullies of life alone!

1-800-273-8255 Option # !

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never ever give up!

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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 about it.

Losing a Buddy in the Service is Very Hard to Face

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This old soldier is having surgery in his mouth tomorrow. Got to take two teeth out that infected. The infection is going down into my body. Not good.

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Military News…

Black airmen 74% more likely than whites to get Article 15, report finds.
Dozens of West Point cadets caught in worst cheating scandal in decades.

Overweight troops are costing the Pentagon more than $1 billion a year.

Airman awarded for braving rocket fire to treat wounded troops during Camp Taji attack.

‘I don’t think I’m special’ says Marine who rescued a baby from a burning car.

Soldier and 16-year-old boy charged with murder of Fort Drum soldier.

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One of the things I really enjoyed while serving, was to get to know some great Afro Americans. (They would rather be called black people.)

There were some during Basic Training, but we were too exhausted to get to know each other. We trained and slept.

During my training at FT Gordon, GA. I met a black man who was an instant friend. He had a mustache, and smoked a pipe during off time. We had some great discussions in the barracks, about racism, etc.

While in Korea I met specialist Jackson. He was black and looked like a linebacker.

One day he and a buddy of his come strolling in to my Quesant hut (Barricks) I was just unloading my gear. It was my first day at Camp Red Cloud.

I thought this may be pick on the new guy time so I was very nervous.

I was very wrong. They both shook my hand and welcomed me to Camp Red Cloud. I became instant friends with both of them. (They were big and strong. Can’t hurt having them on your side.)

Those same guys took me to the base bar. Bad things happened. there.

You will have to read my book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life, to find out what happen.

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Did you meet some good buddies while in the service? Did some of them not come home? I lost two buddies. I know the feeling.

Not to worry!

There are 11.950 fellow veterans here that have your back.

If the losses for buddies is just too much GET HELP!!

Here is a toll free number to cal 24/7.

There are highly qualified counselors there to help you. They will not hang up until they know you are ok.

Never let the bad memories overcome you!

1-800-273-8255 Option # 1

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

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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 about it.