Category: draftees

Posted on

When You Serve Your Country in the Military, You Are A hero in My Eyes.

+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.

________________________________________________________________

Military news…

Marine veteran killed by Russian missile strike on restaurant in Ukraine
More than a dozen Americans have died in Ukraine since February 2022.

_____________________

Satellite photos, reports suggest Belarus building army camp for Wagner fighters

Satellite images analyzed by the Associated Press on Saturday showed what appeared to be a newly built military-style camp in Belarus, with statements from a Belarusian guerrilla group and officials suggesting it may be used to house fighters from the Wagner mercenary group.

_____________________

Russian attacks in Ukraine leave 3 killed, 17 wounded. Spain highlights European support for Kyiv
Ukrainian officials reported more civilian casualties from Russian shelling in the country’s east and south on Saturday, as Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez began a visit to Kyiv as a show of continuing support from Madrid and the European Union for Ukraine’s fight to dislodge invading Russian forces.

_____________________

Army combat veteran to take over key election security role working with state, local officials
An Army combat veteran with extensive cybersecurity and counterterrorism experience is taking over as one of the nation’s top election security officials, the director of the U.S. Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency announced.

_____________________

Russia says it foiled Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow as Kyiv’s counteroffensive grinds on
Russian air defenses on Tuesday foiled a Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow that prompted authorities to briefly close one of the city’s international airports, officials said.

_______________________________________________________________

I have exciting news about my right hip. I was already in preop, and the next time I saw that doctor I would be on the operating table having surgery on my right hip.

Well, my primary doctor sent the orthopedic a note saying he wants me to try some pain management first.

I went to see the pain doctor and he gave me a startling request. He wanted me to cut back on my pain pills, and see what happens. I got home and decided to go all the way, and take no pain pills.

That was over a week ago and there is no pain. I mean none!

Now there could be two things that happened.

  1. The orthopedic doctor was just seeing dollar signs to get me to have an operation, and spend the money lavishly.
  2. God created a miracle. This is the one I think happened. I was in terrible pain, and knew I was going to have to have surgery. I fought going to a pain doctor. Thank God I did.
  3. The pain doctor found many other problems with my body as he inspected. So I am getting CT exams on several places on my body. (Getting older is not for sissies!)

_______________________________________________________________

Does a soldier need to stay on duty if he is injured?

I had a not so fun thing happen to me while deployed to South Korea. I was a radio/teletype operator for the ASA military. ASA (Army Security Agency) is a unit that is used to monitor the airways for breaches in security. It is vital for the safety of our troops.

One day I was doing my thing monitoring the airways, when everything shut down. What I found out was the other shift did not refill the gas tank. Not a good thing.

I went out the the shed, got some gas and started filling up the generator. Half way through, I slipped. The only thing I could grab to soften my fall was the hot manifold.

I burned my hand severely. I was in great pain. I had a decision to make. Should I call down for a medic, or should I try to continue.

I decided to continue, because there was only one other operator, and he was fast asleep.

I put on Vaseline on my hand and wrapped in some bandages. I could only use one had, so it was good I didn’t need to use morse code.

I finished my shift and drove off of hill 468 with one hand, trying to shift. When got to camp I went to the medics and they doctored me up.

________________________________________________________________

Days come and days go, but it is how you use them that counts. As veterans we often fall into the darkside, and let past memories over take us. We wake up screaming with Vietnam nightmares.

Here is what I do when something like this happens:

  1. Clear out your mine of all of the negative things.
  2. Fill your mind with good thoughts.
  3. Repeat.

________________________________________________________________

Is it that simple? I think so. I know it is hard to eliminate some thoughts. They are embedded into your brain, but always keep trying to push them out and it will happen eventually. You are too important to others to let the darkside win.

________________________________________________________________

I have decided that I will keep the names of who are close friends on RallyPoint, and ask them to help in the sale of my upcoming book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of life. Keep coming back to see the progress on that book. 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.

Posted on

There is Not Enough Civilians Enlisting to Keep the Military working.

+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

________________________________________________________________

Military news..

Russia launches the first drone strike on Kyiv in 12 days and all are shot down

After a relative lull, Russia launched a drone attack early Sunday on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, officials said. It was the first such attack of the war in 12 days.

_____________________

Biden’s upcoming European trip is meant to boost NATO against Russia as the war in Ukraine drags on

President Joe Biden will head to Europe at week’s end for a three-country trip intended to bolster the international coalition against Russian aggression as the war in Ukraine extends well into its second year.

_____________________

Israel to buy more F-35 fighter jets from US; the deal expands fleet by 50% and deepens partnership

Israel will buy 25 F-35 aircraft from the United States, the Israeli Defense Ministry announced Sunday, in a deal that increases Israel’s arsenal of the stealth fighter jets by 50%.

_____________________

U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan a result of poor planning, communication, report finds
The State Department’s review found that the U.S. did not plan for the worst-case scenario when pulling troops out of Afghanistan.

_____________________

US Navy announces, rescinds six-day work week for recruiters
The Navy is expected to fall short of enlistment goals, which could impact its “ability to fight and win.”

______________________________________________________________

I was honored when I went to get my COVID vaccine a couple years ago. I was in a huge line waiting my turn when a National Guard soldier came up to me and told me to follow him. He took me to a spot where I was next to get my shot. Probably was because I was wearing an Army hat, and was using a cane.

______________________________________________________________

The military is getting weaker, because not enough civilians are enlisting. This will become a problem very quickly if this doesn’t turn around. They may have to start the draft again. The military changed my life in a very positive way. Please talk to some of your civilian friends to check into enlisting. They won’t regret it.

______________________________________________________________

Just finished an interview with the daughter of a WWII nurse. Some gripping thoughts there. The nurse, Velma Sundet was a hero to many soldiers during the war. She saved many lives.

I only have one other interview left. That is with a Gold Star father. I will be talking to him this week.

Keep coming back for more information on my upcoming book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life. 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

.

Posted on

Drafted Soldiers Were Very Different in the Military

+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.

_____________________________________________

Military news…

Military conscripts in Norway are being asked to return all issued clothing items, including socks, bras and underwear, so that they can be re-issued to the next generation of recruits

(WHAT?)

____________________

Delta Force’s Dirty Secret

Army veteran Erin Scanlon accused a Delta Force member of raping her in September 2016. He was quietly acquitted in a military court martial, she says, partly because of the military justice system’s preferential treatment of elite soldiers.

_____________________

Thousands of Afghans Remain Housed on U.S. Bases Months After the Fall of Kabul

Military bases are housing about 19,500 Afghan refugees as they seek resettlement in the U.S., five months after the historic airlift from Afghanistan.

_____________________

Army Alaska CSM Asks For Help After Another Soldier Dies at Home

The top enlisted soldier for Army Alaska took to Instagram to ask his troops “how we can help” following the sixth death of an off-duty soldier assigned to Alaska since October.

_____________________

North Korea fires ‘more advanced’ missile less than a week after ‘hypersonic’ launch

North Korea launched what appeared to be a ballistic missile off its eastern coast, South Korean military officials announced Tuesday morning.

_____________________

U.S. Forces Japan and the Japanese government agreed to keep American service members, Defense Department civilians and their families close to their installations to curb further spread of the disease.

______________________

US breaks record with more than 145,000 COVID-19 hospitalizations

Tuesday’s total of 145,982 people in U.S. hospitals with COVID-19, which includes 4,462 children, passed the record of 142,273 set on Jan. 14, 2021, during the previous peak of the pandemic in this country.

____________________________________________

Here is another excerpt from my upcoming book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life.

_____________________________________________

Drafted Soldiers Are Totally Different

One of the interesting things while I was in the military was the drafted soldiers. They were selected in the draft by lottery, or by age. If you were over a certain age you were safe. If you were in college they seemed to leave you alone, but if you were not you were prime bait.

There was a lot of bitterness coming from these soldiers. They didn’t want to be there and they let you know about it. Those of us who enlisted got very tired of their whining, and several “blanket parties,” came up because of it. A blanket party is when a group of soldiers cover up another soldier with a blanket and rough him up. A blanket party could also be when a soldier hasn’t showered in a long time even after all the rigorous training we had.

I didn’t partake in the “parties,” but I too wasn’t very happy with the whining. They were serving their country, and should be proud of it. I felt they should have gotten over it and learned as much as they could with free training. I enlisted knowing what was ahead of me, and yet I felt obligated to service.

The draftees only had to serve two years. By the time you were through basic training and your MOS, (your job) training you only had about one year left. You could almost do that standing on your head.

Blanket parties were common in my day, but I thought people should at least warn the person that a blanket party might happen. I would think the person may take a shower real fast or change their attitude.

As for the draftees, I felt like I was doing something good for my country and for me as well. The military changed my life completely. I needed the structure, and discipline. I needed the special training. I needed to be away from my safe haven at home, and learn more about the world. I got all of that in the three years I served. I felt the draftees should have thought of about these themselves.

If you are wondering why you enlisted; if you are second guessing your decision, never feel that it was a waste of time. I got so much out of my time in the service. I met new friends. I got some valuable training, and I got to travel, even though it was to Korea, and other Asian countries.

I learned so much about their culture, and how they survive in a not so friendly world.

The military has many good benefits. In in the first place it is a job that you can make enough of an earning to take care of your family and yourself. There are free benefits that you don’t get in the private sector. 

All this and the comfort of knowing you are doing something that is meaningful.

IWILL

If you enlisted, be thankful for your time in the service. Use it to better yourself in the private sector. Use it to grow and mature more than you could most anywhere else.  Enjoy the new friendships you acquired. They will be part of your life forever.

Think about this

Isn’t it funny how much easier it is to go through a day when you have friends to be there for you?

____________________________________________

Checking in on you…How are you doing? Are you struggling now that you are a civilian?

FEAR NOT!

There are over 13,630 fellow veterans here who have your back.

If you are battling mentally, because of your love for others, but it isn’t working, 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 no 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!

______________________________________________

+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.