Category: frightening times

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Bad Memories Can Haunt People in The Military From Deployment

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Military news…

A disturbing number of Americans still believe the stereotype that veterans are ticking time bombs ready to explode at the first provocation, a new survey which shows that the stereotype of the unstable, violent veteran is still alive and well among U.S. adults. 23% of adults also said that PTSD is not treatable, which is far from the truth.

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A pregnant specialist in the Oregon National Guard is back home on Thursday after staying in her unit armory for an unclear amount of time while her battalion was gone for annual training this week. It is about the Guard failing to build “cohesive teams” and push “people first” the way the Army wants to do. The unit commander is still trying to figure out out how many nights she spent in the armory.

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“I could ask what color the sky is and even though we can all see the sky is blue, they’ll still need everyone and their lawyer to sign off on a statement confirming as much.” That’s what one Army public affairs officer said about the branch’s transparency problem. Haley writes about how Army commanders fail to recognize the importance of communicating with the public. That failure not only disrupts the branch’s connection to the people they serve, but also takes away its “information advantage” as one source said.

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It is getting very disturbing to me the things that are going on with national government.

There still is no plan on how to save the lives of interpreters of Afghanistan. They are going to be put out like last night’s trash if we do not protect them.

The latest is that the chief of staff said that, “We are working on it.” Well, the September 11th withdraw day for our military is coming closer and closer.

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I may be repeating myself here, but a thought about South Korea came to my head right now.

I had a day off from work, and a courier driver invited me to ride with him up to the DMZ zone. (Demilitarized zone.)

I was excited to do that. Never been up there. We headed out and along the way we came to some rice paddy fields. The driver told me,”Let’s have some fun.” I wasn’t sure what he meant, but we came up on a old man carrying two buckets on his shoulders with the help of a strap across his back.

My driver said, “Let’s give him a spin.” Again, I was too naive to know what was coming next. He told me to lean out of the jeep and tap the old man’s bucket on his left side.

I did that, and the man spun around and fell to the ground. I looked in horror, while my driver laughed his head off.

The old man was covered with the contents of his bucket which was human waste that they use to fertilize their crops.

I looked back to see him shaking his fists in anger. I got very angry with the driver and his thought was, “He’s only a gook!”

We finally got to the DMZ. The driver went off to deliver his packages. He left right on the edge of the DMZ. There were soldiers there with guns, and they were observing the other side of the DMZ, which is enemy territory.

They allowed me to use their binoculars to look across. I could see a North Korean soldier looking back at me.

I asked the soldier if I should wave. He said, “NO!” That guy would rather see you dead then to wave at you.

This excerpt from the book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life, and many more are in the book.

Be sure to come back to read more excerpts.

Better yet… Go to the top of this page and click on the subscribe button. When you do that all future posts will come directly to your inbox.

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Last bed check for this week…. How are you doing? Did you have some not so fun things happen while you were deployed?

FEAR NOT!

There are over 12,195 fellow veterans here who have your back.

However, if your memories are getting the best of 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.

Never let your bad memories overcome you!

1-800-273-8255 Option # 1 For 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!

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People Are Concerned About the Interpreters in Afghanistan After Our Troops Leave September 8th

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Military news…

At least 1,900 firearms belonging to the U.S. military were lost or stolen in the last decade — the vast majority having come from the Army. That’s from this story by Haley Britzky, who expands on the Associated Press’ reporting of the issue. The missing arsenal includes rifles, machine guns, rocket launchers, grenade launchers, mortars and several mysterious weapons listed as “others.”

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‘I Want the White House’s Hair on Fire:’ Senator Calls for Action to Save Afghan Interpreters

A Maine senator is calling for the U.S. to house tens of thousands of Afghan interpreters and their family members in territories held by NATO countries while their visa applications are being completed.

“I want the White House’s hair on fire” over the pressing need to ensure Afghans’ safety, Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, said in a telephone briefing with reporters. “The time is short, and getting shorter all the time.”

King said he has not discussed his idea to temporarily house Afghans in NATO territories with President Joe Biden, but added that he is “trying to think as creatively as possible about how to solve the problem.”

U.S. troops have a mandate to depart Afghanistan no later than Sept. 11, 2021.

King later clarified in the roundtable that he was not suggesting Afghans stay in NATO nations themselves, but territories they held, similar to how the United States holds Guam. This, he said, would give the Afghans a safe place to stay while not compromising the NATO nations’ security.

“Afghanistan is a NATO operation, and there were NATO allies involved along with us in Afghanistan, pretty much from the beginning,” King said. “I think we need to call upon our NATO allies to help with this process, and perhaps to provide a waystation for some of these people.”

He also said the military may need to detail some Washington D.C.-based personnel to the State Department to help plow through a backlog of roughly 18,000 Afghans awaiting processing for their Special Immigrant Visas.

But the State Department’s handling of the Special Immigrant Visa program is troubled and slow, taking more than 900 days on average to process applications for Afghan allies and their dependents. At this pace, by the time the vetting process for many is finished, King said, the Americans will be long gone — and their lives are in danger.

A rapid military evacuation of Afghans would be complicated, King said. Because Afghanistan is landlocked and there is no sealift option, the evacuation would almost certainly have to be done by air.

Further complicating matters: The U.S. Embassy in Kabul on Sunday suspended all visa operations, due to an intense outbreak of COVID-19 throughout the country.

“It’s not only a moral issue, it’s a national security issue,” King said. “This can’t just be business as usual at the State Department. … History judges you for how you go into a war, but also how you leave it.”

King noted that after the Vietnam War, the United State temporarily housed Vietnamese refugees in Guam while similar immigration issues were resolved. Today, some advocates for Afghans are vociferously pushing the government to take the same step now.

King said he’s not specifically recommending Guam as the waystation for Afghans, but that NATO nations may fill that role today, and allow the time for proper processing.

King did not spell out exactly how he envisioned detailed Defense Department personnel might help out with Afghan visas. It could be, he said, that as personnel are transitioned out of remote areas in Afghanistan, they could do a stint in Kabul to help with visa processing.

He cited the need to get the chief of mission at the U.S.’s embassy in Kabul to sign off on visas, helping to alleviate one major backlog.

The U.S. also has a practical motivation for acting here, King said: if it does not help Afghans now, will potential allies in future conflicts risk their own lives to assist America?

“The signal it sends is, do not help the Americans, because when the crunch comes, they’re going to abandon you,” King said. “You cannot operate in a foreign theater without the cooperation and assistance of residents there, who believe in the cause that you’re supporting. But they’re going to have to think twice, if there’s a major bloodbath after we leave Afghanistan and we didn’t do everything possible to solve this problem.”

King stressed that he isn’t calling for lowering screening standards “or simply opening the gates,” as that could possibly allow a terrorist planning an attack to sneak into the country. But, he said, “we’ve got to speed it up.”

He said he has heard from service members who have depended on Afghans as interpreters and guides, and are now “gravely concerned” for their safety.

King said he was alarmed when Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley testified to the Senate Armed Services Committee last week that planning to help Afghans is “working through the system right now.” But in a conversation after the hearing, King said, Milley agreed that this is an urgent problem that requires an “all hands on deck” solution.

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The second story brought back memories for me about South Korea.

There were interpreters need to talk to certain fascists of the enemies force. Chinese, North Korean, etc.

I wondered about this very same thing that the article is talking about. What happens to the special interpreters we used. Never found out, but I hope the military took good care of them.

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I have many more memories from my time in the military. That is why I have written the book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life.

It has many stories from when I was deployed to South Korea. Some sad. Some scary. Some funny.

Keep checking into this site to see more information about how the book is doing.

Better yet… if you subscribe to this site by clicking on the subscribe button at the top of this page, you will get all future posts I right sent directly to you inbox.

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Another bed check. (I remember those well.) How are you doing? Do you dread going to sleep, because the nightmares are getting worse?

Fear Not!

There are over 12,170 fellow veterans here who have your back. However, if the dreaming is driving you insane right now, GET HELP!

Here is a toll free number to call 24/7. There are highly trained counselors there to help you. They will not hang up until they know you are OK.

Come out of the darkness to the light!

1-800-273-8255 Option # 1 and 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!

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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.

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There Are Many Great Stories About Our Heroes Who Fought in WWII.

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Military news…

“We’re under great pressure. We’re crumbling. We’re being overrun,” Retired Army Ranger Col. Ralph Puckett recalls saying in November, 1950, when he and a small force of other Rangers and Korean soldiers held off hundreds of Chinese soldiers during a battle near Unsan, Korea. 70 years later, Haley Britzky was among the first to report on Wednesday that Puckett will receive the Medal of Honor for his conspicuous gallantry that day. 

It might be obvious that drinking and samurai swords don’t mix, but, as they say about a lot of things, ‘tell it to the Marines.’ One Marine told me about his unfortunate experience with the two for a story I wrote rounding up reader submissions of the dumbest things they did in uniform. Other readers talked about picking up forklifts with bigger forklifts, or shorting out the base power generator because they were trying to watch Power Rangers. 

It might be obvious that drinking and samurai swords don’t mix, but, as they say about a lot of things, ‘tell it to the Marines.’ One Marine told me about his unfortunate experience with the two for a story I wrote rounding up reader submissions of the dumbest things they did in uniform. Other readers talked about picking up forklifts with bigger forklifts, or shorting out the base power generator because they were trying to watch Power Rangers. 


“The job of a Corpsman is to go through hell and back for your Marines,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Luis Fonseca at his retirement ceremony last week.  Nobody knows that job better than Fonseca, who is the most decorated active-duty corpsman in the Navy and who first cut his teeth running through a wall of lead to save his buddies during the 2003 Battle of Nasiriyah. Fonseca was awarded the Navy Cross for valor for his actions that day, but it was only the beginning of a long career saving Marines on far-flung battlefields.
The Air Force has deployed its drone-killing microwave weapon to Africa
The Air Force is currently testing a prototype of its new drone-killing microwave weapon “in a real-world setting” in Africa, Breaking Defense reports, a major step forward for the service’s directed energy efforts.
Military spouses are the backbone of the military

The United States military is the finest fighting force in the world, ready to deploy anywhere within 48-hour notice. A combat-ready unit cannot operate without logistics, communications, and of course, family support. While they don’t wear uniforms, military spouses are fundamental in keeping our forces domestic and abroad focused, supported, and ready to go.
The Air Force’s new drone-in-a-box is like ‘scramble the fighters’ for base security forces
New drones at Travis Air Force Base respond immediately to fence alarms or distress calls, giving security forces rapid eyes-in-the-sky.
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Why did I enlist into the Army? (Thank you for asking.)

I had three uncles that fought in WWII. Two of them received the Purple Heart. They were brave and was able to come home. They told me stories of many that didn’t come home.

My brother went into the National Guard after I enlisted.

I was a freshman in college and my first term GPA was 0.76! I was having too much fun.

Myself and two other buddies sat down and had a talk. We decided to enlist under the buddy system. I was proud to join because I honored my uncles so much.

I have stories about my uncles in my upcoming book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life. Two of my uncles were in life threatening situations.

One uncle was a tanker. He was the man who was in charge of the tank with two other soldiers. One day he stopped the tank and told his buddies he was going to air out the tank by opening the top.

That turned out to be a mistake. A Japanese soldier came running up and tossed a grenade into the tank. It killed his best friend next to him, and he and the other tanker were wounded.

He never wanted to talk about that incident, because he felt it was his fault for having people killed and wounded.

Another uncle was in the infantry. He was fighting the Germans in France. He whole unit was attacked, and many of the soldiers were either killed or wounded.

Those that survived retreated. This left many man still alive, but wounded.

My Uncle could see the German soldiers coming through and checking to see if there were any soldiers still alive. If they were they killed them.

My uncle had to “Play dead.” He couldn’t move or even breath as one german came by him. They went on through and then the medics came back to rescue those who were still breathing. My was uncle one of them.

My third uncle was a SeaBee. They were vital to the war in that they built bridges across rivers for the soldiers to advance. This also helped with the equipment.

To me he was just as much as a hero as the others.

Stories about these three heroes are in my upcoming book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life.

Keep coming back to see what new things have happened.

Better yet, go to the top of this page and click on the subscribe button. When you do all future posts will come directly to your inbox.

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Were you wounded while in the military? Are you still suffering because of that?

FEAR NOT!

There are over 12,010 fellow veterans subscribed to this site, and they all have your back.

If it is just too overwhelming for you right now. GET HELP!

There 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.

Never face the storms alone!

1-800-273-8255 Option # 1

___________________________________

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 about it.