The Military Doesn’t Have to be Serious All of the Time.

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Military news…

Injured Marine recalls deadly Kabul suicide blast as House Republicans scrutinize Afghanistan withdrawal
Sgt. Tyler Vargas-Andrews said his unit had warned commanders that they saw two suspects in the chaotic crowd outside Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport on Aug. 26, 2021, that fit a description flagged by U.S. intelligence, but the Marines were denied permission to shoot.

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Troops up for 5.2% pay hike under White House’s $886B defense budget request
The White House’s $6.8 trillion funding request for fiscal 2024, which begins Oct. 1, includes $842 billion specifically for the Defense Department, representing a $26 billion increase to the amount appropriated by Congress last year.

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North Korea fires short-range missile ahead of US joint military drills with South

North Korea fired its fifth ballistic missile of the year after U.S. intelligence officials assessed that the communist regime had “no intention of abandoning” its weapons program.

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The Russian military is so low on ammo that troops are reduced to fighting with e-tools
“One of the reservists described being ‘neither physically nor psychologically’ prepared for the action.”
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Ukrainian Pilots in Arizona Working With US Military Pilots

According to defense officials, while Ukrainians aren’t flying planes, U.S. military pilots are assessing their skills and familiarizing them with new aircraft equipment like the F-16. This comes as President Zelenskyy repeatedly asked the U.S. for F-16s, but the Biden administration has resisted.

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Not all moments in the military have to be serious. During my basic training I had an incident that I love to tell others about.

We were just finished with our firing range training, and our sergeant that was suppose to march us back to our barracks had to leave. He asked a Warrant officer to march us back.

Before he came over to us we decided to follow the rules of orders when he took over. That meant he had to say things exactly like a sergeant would say to get us moving.

He came before us and said, “Ok guys let’s get into formation.” No one moved. He tried two more times, and then he went to another sergeant to asked what he should say. The sergeant told him, and we go into formation when he said the right thing.

The he tried to get us to start marching he said, “Start marching,” No movement. He tried to do this several times,and had to ask that same sergeant what he should say. He then told us, “Forward march.”

We started marching. Eventually we came to a spot that we had to turn, or we would walk into the bay. He said, “Let’s turn here to avoid the water. We kept marching. We got to the edge of the water and he yelled, “Stop!” We kept going and the first part of the platoon was in the water. he was panicked, and called for help for another sergeant. The sergeant yelled “Halt.”

We stopped, but by that time we were all in the water, laughing our heads off.

We finally got back to the barracks and the company commander had us get into formation. He chewed us out for what we had done, and then you could see he was smiling as he walked back to his office.

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I had the privilege to meet a Vietnam veteran while shopping for groceries. I seem to have the knack to find them. This guy is a true hero. His name is Milt Hoch. He had three tours in Vietnam. He didn’t have to. He chose to.

He was in intense fighting, even face to face fighting. He was once stabbed through both legs at once with a bayonet. He was still able to kill the enemy and survive.

I have an interview with him in my upcoming book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life. It is riveting.

Keep coming back to hear about other heroes. 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.

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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.

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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.

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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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Vietnam Veterans Still Feel the Sting of Duty There. Most Have lost Many Friends.

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Military news…

Top US general says the fight in Syria is “important” for security after surprise visit
Milley believes an “enduring defeat” of ISIS is possible, but didn’t say how far away that is.

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What chance do military movies like ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ and ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ have at the Oscars?
Actually a pretty solid one, given how many other war films have come out on top.

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Zelenskyy vows not to retreat from Ukrainian city of Bakhmut

Ukraine military leaders are determined to hold onto Bakhmut, Kyiv officials said Monday, even as Russian forces continued to encroach on the devastated eastern Ukrainian city that they have sought to capture for six months at the cost of thousands of lives.

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North Korean missiles continue to cause tension

South Korean and American officials are expecting North Korea to continue missile launches — and potentially a seventh nuclear test — amid a tense regional standoff.

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US, South Korea to kick off Freedom Shield exercise amid warnings from North

The U.S. and South Korean militaries have set the date for large-scaled joint exercises with the U.N. and Combined Forces commands that North Korea last month likened to a declaration of war.

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I have a good friend who is a Vietnam veteran. I have coffee with him twice a week, and we are going to lunch today.

I have tried to talk to him about his time there, and he just doesn’t want to talk. I asked him why.

He was wounded by shrapnel. I said he should get a Purple Heart for that. He thoughts are, “I lost too many friends. They deserve the Purple Heart, not me. I am still alive.”

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There are many Vietnam veterans that have that attitude. They have lost too many buddies, and don’t feel they deserve any medals since they are still alive. I can understand that, but they are still heroes in my book.

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The military seems to be losing good soldiers. The recruitment is going slowly. Not many young men feel they need to serve their country. I hope they are able to come up with ideas to overcome that.

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I had the privilege to meet a Vietnam veteran while shopping for groceries. I seem to have the knack to find them. This guy is a true hero. His name is Milt Hoch. He had three tours in Vietnam. He didn’t have to. He chose to.

He was in intense fighting, even face to face fighting. He was once stabbed through both legs at once with a bayonet. He was still able to kill the enemy and survive.

I have an interview with him in my upcoming book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life. It is riveting.

Keep coming back to hear about other heroes. 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.

It Has Been a year for the War in Ukraine. Russia Hasn’t Gained Much, and Lost Much.

+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…

US gives Ukraine another $2 billion in military aid as war with Russia enters its second year

The U.S. will send another $2 billion in military aid to Ukraine that includes weapons, drones and other equipment, the Pentagon said on the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion.

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CIA chief: China has some doubt on ability to invade Taiwan

U.S. intelligence shows that China’s President Xi Jinping has instructed his country’s military to “be ready by 2027” to invade Taiwan, though he may be harboring doubts about his ability to do so given Russia’s experience in its war with Ukraine, CIA Director William Burns said.

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Putin: will ‘take into account’ NATO’s nuclear capability

As he has done repeatedly during the Ukraine war, Putin claimed that Russia faces an existential threat because, in his view, NATO members are seeking the country’s “strategic defeat.”

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On Ukraine front, civilians cling on as troops repel Russia

Ukrainian soldiers are paying a heavy price, too, but say their sacrifices are wearing down waves of troops and equipment that Moscow is throwing into battle.

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Coast Guard seizes $20 million in drugs in the Arabian Sea
It’s bad news for those moving the product.

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It has been a year since the war in Ukraine started. Russia hasn’t gained much and lost many through death. Putin needs to wake up, and negotiate. Putin claims he can wait and let Ukraine fall apart. Good luck with that. The Ukrainian people are strong, and will never give up.

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I had a wonderful weekend with my family at the Oregon coast. Spent a lot of time talking and laughing. Got a change to talk to my son who is a retired Colonel. He is struggling with a brain problem, and is getting help from the VA. He was always upbeat and cheering up his family. He is a leader’s leader.

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Still in the final stage of finishing my upcoming book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life. Keep coming back to check the progress. 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.