Judge Temporarily Halts Air Force Discipline For Refusing the COVID Vaccine

+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…

A Navy warship burned while commanders argued over who was in charge

“The ship’s in maintenance, it’s not our problem.”

_____________________

The Air Force has zombie F-35s it keeps using long after they’re dead

Even in death, the F-35 continues to serve.

_____________________

This whimsical machine gun-toting bunny is the Air Force’s latest squadron mascot

A machine gun-toting rabbit may seem like an unusual choice for a mascot, but whimsy is a common feature of Air Force shoulder patches.

_____________________

Ukrainian partisans target Russian sympathizers as the war enters a bloody new stage
“Our people are doing everything to make sure the land burns under the feet of the occupiers.”

_____________________

There’s a new, shorter suicide prevention hotline number to help veterans
Anyone in need can now call 988.

_____________________

Air Force pits helicopter pilots against Russian-made Hinds in rare mock battle
Air Force combat search and rescue crews are training to fight their way through enemy aircraft to rescue friendly troops.

_____________________

Judge Temporarily Halts Air Force Discipline for Refusing COVID Vaccine

A federal court judge Thursday certified as a legal class a group of Air Force members seeking a religious exemption from the military’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

________________________________________________________________

I have been missing for over two weeks. My apologizes for that. I came down with COVID July 3rd. It was a bad time at first, but then I slowly recovered. Then we went to Hawaii for ten days. It was very hard for me, because I had to use a walker, and some of the walks were pretty tough. I did enjoy my time, and came home refreshed this last weekend.

______________________________________________________________

Staring with my next post, I will share more stories from my upcoming book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life. Be sure to come back to check them out. Better yet…go to the top of this page and click on subscribe. When you do all future posts will go directly to your in box.

_______________________________________________________________

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.

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

_______________________________________________________________

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.

Alcohol Abuse is very Common 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…

A memorial for the Global War on Terrorism may still be a long way off, but it has taken an important step towards its eventual completion.

_____________________

Facing It. “The Harder I Held on, the Further I Felt From Home.”

Drew Pham grieves for the family of the man he killed at war. His peers and commanders told him it was a good kill, but how can a kill be “good”?
_______________________________________________________

Air Force Discharges 27 For Refusal to Get COVID Vaccine

The Air Force has discharged 27 people for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine, making them what officials believe are the first service members to be removed for disobeying the vaccination mandate.

____________________

Guardsman in Jan. 6 Mob Gets Probation, Still Serving in the Guard

A Wisconsin National Guard soldier was sentenced in federal court Dec. 10 to two years of probation and $1,500 in fines and restitution on one count of violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.

_____________________

Kentucky National Guard Soldier Returns to Hometown For ‘Deeply Personal’ Mission Following Tornadoes

Kentucky National Guardsmen uncovered the state and U.S. flags while clearing debris last week at the County Courthouse destroyed by a tornado in Mayfield, Kentucky.

_____________________

103 Marines Already Separated For Refusing COVID-19 Vaccine

At least 103 Marines have been separated from the Marine Corps for refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19, the service said Thursday.

_____________________

Army veteran, hit man in killing of Navy officer, awaits new sentencing hearing on death row

Army veteran David A. Runyon, convicted of being the hit man in a murder-for-hire slaying of a Navy officer, was sentenced to death in 2009, but in December 2020 a panel for the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals ordered that the case be sent back to Norfolk for a hearing.

_______________________________________

Another excerpt from my upcoming book, Signs of hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of life.

Not too many left before I stop sharing, so come back often to chek this site out. Better yet… Go to the top of this page and click on “Subscribe.” When you do all future posts go directly into your inbox.

JUST DO IT! 🙂

________________________________________

Just One More Drink!

I knew some men who were lost in the drinking world. They couldn’t put that glass down. When they drink they would drink to the last drop, not wanting to waste any of it, like a soldier on the desert getting the last drop out of their canteen. 

Alcohol abuse is common in the military. I was a naïve and unknowing boy when I went into the military. I hadn’t done any drinking of any kind. I was right out of high school. 

But once I got to Korea I met some veterans of another kind. They were veteran drinkers.

They wanted me to go with them to the base tavern. I resisted for a while and they kept after me. I finally went with them one night. It was the end of the month, and they were having drinks for ten cents each. I think they said they try to clear out all the booze at the end of the month, because a new shipment was coming from the main land.

Ten cents? Wow! I thought. This is too good of a deal to pass up. I was nearly broke, but I had a couple of dollars. That could buy me twenty drinks. (What a deal!)

I was with two soldiers that I befriended when I got there. One was an athletic looking guy, and the other was a “tall drink of water,” from Texas.

They showed me that they loved to drink. I decided to have my first drink. I asked them what drinks were good. They told me the Zombie drink was especially sweet, and tasty. I had no idea what kind of drink it was. (I should have known just from the title of the drink!) They each also ordered one. They brought the drinks to our table.

The Zombies were huge. They were in a tall glass and had a murky green and brown look to them.

My friends (?) said “Let’s have a drinking contest. Let’s see who can finish their drink first.” I fell for the trap. We all held the glasses to our lips and one of them yelled “GO!” 

I had two gulps down before the burning sensation in my throat started. I thought I had swallowed a nest of yellow jackets! I coughed, and tried to standup.

They guys pulled me back down and said, “You aren’t finished yet. Keep at it.” I wanted this experience to end so I kept drinking. I remember about four gulps, and then everything went black. I was having a black-out.

I didn’t remember the whole rest of the evening, and woke up the next morning lying next to a big truck and having dry heaves. There had to have been people walking by the spot where I was, but no one helped me. They probably just said, “Oh, there is another recruit who just got in.” 

It took me several days to get my life back to a livable state. I had to go to the infirmary to get some medicine to help, and the doctor just laughed and said, “You must be a new guy.” 

So what did I learn from that?

  • Things aren’t what they seem.
  • Friends you are supposed to trust aren’t always good friends.
  • If something looks like it may be wrong, it probably is.
  • You don’t have to do things to empress anyone to make them like you.

Now days, I have a beer once and a while, but I never overindulge. It just doesn’t make sense to me to be drinking just to get drunk. I used to think that non-alcoholic beer was a joke. I also thought, if I am going to drink beer I am doing it for the buzz, not the taste. Now I enjoy the taste, and feel that once I have quenched my thirst that is all I need.    

How about you? Do you struggle with drinking too much? I know it is possible in the military to have down times, lonely times, depressing times, drinking with buddies, where you seem to be attracted to alcohol, because it is needed to drown your sorrows in it.

I suggest to you that the opposite should be true. We shouldn’t be going to the one thing that could give us more depression. We shouldn’t be going to the one thing that could cause us to stop thinking clearly, which is dangerous when you are depressed and lonely.  

During your moment of depression you should be thinking as many positive thoughts as you can. Push out all that garbage out of your brain. Talk to friend. Let them know you are feeling down. Don’t go to alcohol to try to hide your pain. It may cause you more.

IWILL

If we can keep our minds clear of all the negativity around us, we have a much better chance of fighting off the dark side that is trying to cause us pain. We should never, ever think we need alcohol to free us of the mental pain.

Think about this

Isn’t it interesting how we think we are sad, and yet we have so many people around us who want to help?

__________________________________________

Checking on on you. Have things gone wrong from you drinking too much?

FEAR NOT!!

There are over 13,590 fellow veterans subscribed to this site who have your back.

If the dreams just too much for you right now, GET HELP!

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

1-800-272-8255..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.

Happiness in the Military is Sometimes Hard to Find

+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…

“I got an award and I don’t even know if I deserve it … I’d give it back in a second if I could get the soldiers back.” That’s from Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Grinston, who spoke about the hard losses he and his men went through together in Iraq, where Grinston earned a reputation as both a bullet magnet and a true follower of the Ranger Creed.

_____________________

Speaking of space, did you know that the first song performed live in space was ‘Jingle Bells?’ The first performers were two U.S. military pilots who wanted to troll Mission Control with some Christmas merriment.

_____________________

The military’s efforts to weed out white supremacists and other extremist groups are finally showing some teeth now that the Pentagon has expanded what constitutes “active participation” in extremist activities,.

_____________________

Air Force Discharges 27 For Refusal to Get COVID Vaccine

The Air Force has discharged 27 people for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine, making them what officials believe are the first service members to be removed for disobeying the vaccination mandate.

_____________________

Female Ex-pilot in Afghan Military Surfaces in U.S., Defying Rumors That She Had Been Killed 

An Afghan woman who was one of the few female pilots in her country’s air force corrected a rumor that she had been killed by the Taliban, saying she’s resettled on the West Coast.

_____________________

103 Marines Already Separated For Refusing COVID-19 Vaccine

At least 103 Marines have been separated from the Marine Corps for refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19, the service said Thursday.

_____________________

The Pentagon Doesn’t Know How Many Hazing Incidents Happen in the Military, Watchdog Finds

Five years after a Muslim-American recruit died by suicide days after joining Marine Corps boot camp, launching the discovery of hazing scandals, the Pentagon still doesn’t keenly track abuse in the ranks, a government watchdog found.

___________________________________________

Sharing another excerpt from my upcoming book, Signs of Hope for the MIlitary: In and Out of the trenches of Life.

____________________________________________

Happiness is a Choice

It is a well-known fact that most people are as happy as they choose to be. People go through life allowing depression to overcome them to the point that they are incapacitated. Even presidents have trouble with depression. Can you imagine the daily stress they have? It is non- stop.

Abraham Lincoln once considered suicide, he was so depressed. One of the greatest times he remembered while was in office was when a little old lady came to see him at the White House, and gave him some cookies she had made. He thanked her, and said it was one of the greatest moments of his tenure. A very little gesture, but it brightened a person’s life that was battling depression and life in general.

Some people accept depression because they think they deserve it. They feel they have done something wrong and this is their punishment. I had some of those days myself. I often thought I must deserve this if I keep having it happen to me.

This world is not the Disney Channel anymore. It’s Law and Order. There are many battles to fight, and many fronts.

Many people try to find happiness to overcome depressions and they fail. Why?

Because so many people think a fancy car, a big house on a hill, or owning a yacht, will give them happiness, and “things,” do not give us happiness.  We also seek happiness through sexual prowess, but end up with fleeting pleasures and bitter disappointments.

We try to seek power in corporations, in government, or in their own families through excessive control, but still many are unfulfilled seeking happiness.  

What are they missing? They are missing inner peace and joy.

How do we fine that inner peace and joy? It is from the love of God who provides us with all the love and understanding we need.

While we spend time in the military, or many years afterwards, we need to know that the path to true happiness isn’t from “things” we own, or people we control, it is found through searching our own souls, and coming up with ways to reach out to those around us, and when we feel the love, they return it back to us.

That is happiness!

IWILL

I spent too many years of my life trying to do whatever I could to be accepted. I would go way out of my way to let someone know that I was a person, and needed love. What I didn’t know is that love is very powerful, and if you just share that love with someone they will return it and provide you with all the happiness you need.

Think about this

Isn’t it funny how we sometimes think we aren’t accepted and it is because we didn’t ask?

There will be a few more excerpts coming up so keep coming back to check them out. Better yet… go to the top of this page and click on “Subscribe.” When you do all future posts will come directly to your inbox.

__________________________________________

Bed check. How are you doing? Do you have dreams about your service time? Are they nightmares?

FEAR NOT!!

There are over 13,530 fellow veterans subscribed to this site who have your back.

If the dreams just too much for you right now, GET HELP!

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

1-800-272-8255..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.