Category: Veterans

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Not Everything Has to be Serious in the Military

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Military news…

“The Marine Corps taught me not to [mess] around.” That’s from Marine veteran James Kilcer, who grabbed a would-be thief’s pistol during a robbery attempt in Yuma, Arizona earlier this month.

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“A blank can actually do you a huge amount of damage. If it was pressed right up against your head, it could probably kill you.” That’s from Paul Biddiss, a former British Army paratrooper who told James Clark all about how firearms are handled on movie sets. This is after Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun on film set in New Mexico last week, killing one person on set and injuring another.

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“I don’t really like to talk about how many times I [deployed] here or there … because even if you go once, you did more than most.” That’s from Senior Master Sgt. Robert Gutierrez Jr., a legendary Air Force combat controller whose humility shined in a recent video posted to the Air Force Special Tactics Facebook page.

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Pentagon Mandates COVID-19 Vaccine for Civilian Workers

All civilians working for the Defense Department and the military services must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 by Nov. 22, under new guidelines released earlier this month.

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Navy Recovers Helicopter, 5 Sailors Killed in Crash That Prompted Pause in Flight Operations

The Navy has recovered the five crewmembers and MH-60S helicopter that crashed
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3 Brothers Reunited After 50 Years Include an Army General and An Army Colonel

Maj. Gen. Edmonson was reunited with his younger half-brothers, Brian and Army Col. Eric Jackson, at Fort Knox. Edmonson’s father was stationed in Germany when he learned his child had been given up for adoption.

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As Afghanistan Sinks Into Destitution, Some Sell Children to Survive

A housecleaner in Herat, Afghanistan, said she may have to hand her three-year-old daughter over to a man to settle an insurmountable debt of $550, illuminating the starvation crisis in the Taliban-controlled country.

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Another excerpt from my upcoming book, Signs of Hope for the Military: This shows that not everything is serious in the military.

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I Hope I Can Swim!

There weren’t always serious times in the military.

One day after we were done with shooting at the range in basic training. The regular platoon leader had to go to headquarters, and he asked a Warrant Officer to march us back to the buses.

The Warrant Officer had never led a march before and it was very clear that he was not in control. The men whispered to each other that we needed to follow his commands completely, but only if they were Army regulated.

Well, the Warrant Officer had no idea what the Army regulations were for marching troops, so he just told us to start marching. We didn’t move. He shouted, “Let’s go!” We still didn’t move. Then a passer-by soldier told him the wording was “Forward march!” 

He said “Forward march!” We started marching. He wanted us to do a turn at a street corner, and said “Turn right!” We kept going straight. He was heading us toward a boat ramp leading down to the ocean. He saw what was happening, and yelled, “Stop!” We didn’t stop! He shouted “You’re going into the water, stop!”

By this time the front of the platoon was in the edge of the ramp and had water over their boots. He was again getting desperate. He ran over to some other soldier watching “the show,” and begged them to tell him what he is supposed to say. He said yell, “Platoon halt!” He did, but by that time there were some men swimming, and laughing I might add.

The platoon leader didn’t get mad when he heard what happened. He even chuckled to himself, and then he called the Warrant Officer to apologize.

Have you ever gotten confused with some orders you have received in the military? Were they in such a way that you had to question them? Let me tell you that it is OK to question a command or orders if you stay with the guidelines of the Army manual.

If an officer asks you to do something you aren’t comfortable with you could say, “No disrespect sir, but could you explain that order to me?” You could also say, “I would like to say “Respectively sir that I will do what you say, but I am not comfortable doing it.”

Any good officer will not chew you out for statements like that. My son, who was a colonel, had times when he had to give soldiers commands, and I am sure if they questioned him, he didn’t punish them or he didn’t become angry. I met many of his soldiers when I visited him on base, and every soldier I met said that my son was a soldier’s soldier. Meaning, they knew he was in charge, but they also knew that he would listen to them if they had a disagreement.

In your life it is wise to be open to others who may disagree with you. It may make you uncomfortable, but in the long run, the other person will respect you for listening to them even if you stick to what you first advocated.

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There is more to this chapter, but I am cahllenging ypou to buy the book to read the rest of it. 🙂

If you want to see more excerpts, keep coming back. Better Yet, go to the top of this page and slick on “Subscribe.” When you do all future posts will come directly to your inbox.

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Hey, how’s it going my friend? Has the world sent you lemons? Do you dread going to sleep?

FEAR NOT!

There are 13,270 fellow veterans subscibed to this site who have your back.

BUT! If the going is just too rough 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 they know you are OK.

1-800-273-8255…texting838255.

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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.

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There Are Many Intersting and Scary Things that Happen in Basic Training

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Military news….

In the military, losing your weapon could end your career, and that was the situation the late Colin Powell found himself in when he was a 21-year-old second lieutenant in 1959. Of course, that was not the end of the line for Powell, who went on to become Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Secretary of State before passing away on Monday at the age of 84.

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The chests of most generals’ service dress uniforms are festooned with colorful ribbons, but not Air Force Gen. Mike Minihan’s.

His men and women love him for that.

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Sailors who refuse to get immunized for COVID-19 could end up owing the Navy a lot of money. They might have to pay back bonuses, special pays, and the cost of training.

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Officials in southern Oregon have asked the state’s governor to call in the National Guard because they are being overrun by illegal pot farms.

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Pentagon Mandates COVID-19 Vaccine for Civilian Workers

All civilians working for the Defense Department and the military services must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 by Nov. 22, under new guidelines released earlier this month.

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He Attacked Cops At The Capitol. The FBI Interviewed Him. Then He Rejoined The Army.

A Fort Bragg soldier has been arrested after authorities learned he sprayed police with a chemical agent while officers were under siege by the violent mob of Trump supporters on Jan. 6.

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Ex-Taliban Commander Pleads Not Guilty to Killing U.S. Troops

A former Taliban commander previously accused of kidnapping an American journalist pleaded not guilty on Friday to murdering three U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan in 2008.

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I got picked on for not sharing more excerpts from my upcoming book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life. 🙂 So here is one just for you.

Fire in the Hole!

I think this chapter title fits quite well for what I am about to tell you. While in basic training, one of the training steps we had to go through was learning how to properly throw a hand grenade. Each soldier took his turn getting into the pit with an instructor. He showed them how to pull the pin and properly hold it long enough before tossing it.

I was a ways back in the line so I watched with great anticipation. One by one each soldier stepped into the pit with the instructor, pulled the pin, and tossed the grenade. If it was a good pull and throw, the instructor slapped you on the back and said, “Move out !”

Just three people ahead of me and I was getting pumped. Then a soldier stepped into the pit, pulled the pin, and slung his arm backwards to throw the hand grenade. The problem was he didn’t have a tight grip on the weapon and it flew out of his hands backwards, hitting the wall of the pit. The instructor knew what to do, grabbed it, and tossed it over the wall of the pit. It went off about halfway to the ground.

Then I wasn’t so sure I wanted to try this! My turn came. I stepped into the pit. The instructor handed me a grenade, and told me to pull the pin and toss it after counting to three by saying, “One thousand one, one thousand two, and one thousand three!” I did exactly what he told me and I had a good pull and throw. I got that wonderful slap on the back and didn’t wait for him to shout, “Move out.” I was already on my way out of there!

Sometimes things happen in life we aren’t expecting. We’re going along enjoying life and then something serious happens. It could be an injury. It could be being told you are being deployed. It could be that a child was just born and you have to leave. Even worse, it could be that your child is born while you are deployed and it’s months before you’ll get to hold your child.

This is where our character is tested. This is when we have to dig deep and bring out the courage to keep going on. We need to know that everything will be OK, and we just need to be patient.

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So how is it going for you? Is the wolrd pulling you down like a huge magnate? I have been there myself.

FEAR NOT!

There are over 13,250 fellow veterans here who have your back.

But…if the load is just to much for your 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 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!

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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.

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Deployment Can Be Very Hard on the Military Family

+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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Military news…

They finally released Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller from prison. However, he may still face a court marshell. He told the truth, and questioned the nation’s top military leaders about how we withdrew from Afghanistan. He shouldn’t be charged for telling the truth.

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One-hundred percent of the soldiers who served under Brig. Gen. Amy Johnston, the recently-suspended Army Chief of Public Affairs, said she created a hostile work environment.

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The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was recently guarded by an all-woman team of three sentinels for the first time in history.

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The Navy and Marine Corps are testing out a new rifle scope that allows users to lock onto a target and bring it down, even if the target is a very small drone.

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The Space Force is making changes to its service dress pants after people made fun of them for being too baggy.

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I told you in my last post that I would start sharing excerpts again. My excerpt on Monday was very successful in that 24 new people subscribed to this site.

Here is my excerpt for today:

Deployment Can Be Very Hard on the Military Family

As parents get deployed in the military, there is a void created. The children a left without a mother or father to have for love and guidance. So, remember, it can be very hard on the children as well.

As for boys in the family there is a need for a father figure to help show them the way. A father can help them acquire knowledge and confidence they need.

There is a time when they need to seek out their father for attention. There is a need for someone to play catch with; to wrestle with.

I didn’t have a dad that came home each night to give me a hug and share my day with. My parents were divorced when I was about six years old.

My mother called me her “little one,” when I was very young.

However, I needed a dad to say, “Hi Ace, or How’s it going to today champ?” I never heard that. It was like my dad was deployed somewhere else, but he was never coming back.

My mother was my only comfort zone. She had to be the one that showed interest in me. She was the only one who could support me when I needed it. She was my protector, but I needed someone to show me the excitement outside the realm of our home. My mom worked long hours and was very tired when she came home each day.

My mother did teach me toughness. She allowed me to play with toy guns, beebe guns, and let me play with GI Joe figures. She did this becasue three of her brothers fought in WW 2.

I didn’t have a dad to go fishing with. That was probably the most glaring thing thing missing in my childhood. I loved to fish, but I didn’t have the proper skills to know how to do it. My uncle Paul taught me how to fish, but he was a farmer and didn’t have the freedom to go with during the summer months because that was the busiest time for him. So I grew up fishing by myself. I needed a dad to get excited with me as I pulled in a fish.

Today, I go fishing with my two sons often, and there is a special bonding there.

Daughters need their father or mother to be there for them as well. Sometimes it is the mother who is deployed, and the father becomes “Mr. Mom.”

He needs to find ways to give his daughter the love she needs without mom around. He needs to join her is fantasy tea parties. He needs to allow her to paint his finernails a special color. She may even want to give dad a perm.

No one expects a mother or father to be perfect in a military home, but you should do what ever you can to keep the family united and happy.

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There is more to this chapter, and you will be able to read the rest of it if you aquire the upcomg book, Signs of hope for the military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life.

I will share more excerpts in the future. Come back so you won’t miss them. 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.

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Bed check… How are you days going? Some good, some not so good? Do you fear sleeping at night?

FEAR NOT!

There are over 13,160 fellow veterans on this site who have your back.

If the nights are just too scary for you, 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 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.