Tag: cadence songs

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There Are Times When We Are Proud of What We Did in the Military

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Military news…

Lt. Cmdr. Charles Cranston, a security officer with U.S. Fleet Forces Command’s Anti-Terrorism Force Protection unit in Norfolk, was arrested last week on sex trafficking charges in Virginia.

(sick!)

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The Air Force promoted a major who posted the personal information of an alleged sexual assault survivor to social media and her official newsletter, then denied posting that information before an ethics committee, and was recently censured by the Idaho House of Representatives.

(Also sick!)

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A cadet at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point got his forehead signed by the legendary actor Bill Murray, and took a video to prove it.

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The Marine Corps Commandant’s radical new talent management plan would allow civilians with critical skills to join the Corps without going through its infamous boot camp

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“To me, it does not make sense to be retiring the MQ-9 … There are lots of other platforms that I would retire before this.” That’s from aerospace expert Todd Harrison, who voiced his disapproval of the Air Force deciding to retire the MQ-9 Reaper drone by 2035.

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It’s a common trope that military service ends marriages, but have you ever heard of it saving a marriage? That’s what happened to Army Sgt. 1st Class Richard Sloan and his wife Denise when his team leader actually embodied the “People First” initiative the Army is trying hard to put into action.

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I am sharing another excerpt from my upcoming book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches o life.

Honors Marching Soldiers

During my basic training there was an opportunity to be an honor guard for our battalion. I didn’t seek the position, but my drill sergeant told me I was going to try out. When your drill sergeant speaks, you listen.

I went to the first “work-out,’ and quickly knew I had a rough road of stern practicing ahead of me. They not only had you doing constant, repetitive, drills, but your boots had to shine so much you could see your face in them. 

I made the squad, and then we really concentrated on things we would do while we were marching. We did cadence songs. There was twirling of the rifles in mid-air. Then we also did a halted maneuver of putting our rifles to the ground and tapping them twice and the flipping them up to our shoulders in one movement.  

We were in a local parade in Monterey, California. This was the town near Ft. Ord where I did my basic training. We marched and sang our cadence. We twirled our rifles and tapped them on the ground. The crowd loved it, and we felt very proud to be representing the Army.

Have you had moments that you were proud of while you were in the military? I would love to hear about them. Just send your stories to the email address at the back of this book, and I will have compiled them into a book for all to read.

It is important to feel proud. It is important to feel like you are doing something others really like you doing. It is important that you soak in these moments and keep them in your memory banks for later in life so you can look back to your military service with pride, and dignity.

We all have had our not so happy moments in the military, but there are also many times of joy, fun and excitement. Cling to those times, and let the others float away like a cloud.

IWILL

Some people want to forget about their time in the service. Many of them are Vietnam veterans. I was so ashamed of our country when I started hearing stories of the grief and verbal attack our soldiers had to endure when they came back from Vietnam.  I come from a military family. I had three uncles in WWII. My brother and I served, and now my son is a retired Colonel from the Army. He served two tours in Iraq, and has received many accommodation medals, including two Bronze Stars.  

I also have two brother-in-laws who served in Vietnam. Their stories may never be told, because of their reluctance to want to share much about their time there. I completely understand, but I am still very proud of their service to their country, and the fact that they put themselves in harm’s way for you and me.

Take time to let a veteran, or current military person know how much you appreciate their time in the service. I try to do that every time I see one. They may not say much, but “thank you,” but I know personally that it means a great deal to them.

Think about this

Isn’t it sad how some people say things, for no reason at all, that hurts others?

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What you see at the end of this chapter is what will be at the end of every chapter in the book. The IWILL section is for further thoughts, and it stands for, Important words in Life’s Learning.

The Think about this, will also be at the end of every chapter. It makes us think and ponder.

Come back and see more excerpts…better yet go to the top of this page and click on “Subscribe.” When you do all future posts will directly to your inbox.

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Bed check… How are you doing? Does the days seem dark and dreary? Do you dread sleeping at night?

FEAR NOT!!

There are over 13, 430 fellow veterans here who have you back.

However, if the dark and dreary days are just too much, 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.

I-800-272-8255…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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In the Military There is very Little Racism, They All Have Common Goals

+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.

+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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Military news…

“The soldiers should not have any upfront cost, but if they do the Army will reimburse them what they are authorized.” That’s what Army Col. Charles Rambo said in this story by Haley Britzky about the service failing to cover college tuition assistance for soldiers. Haley first wrote about the problem on Tuesday, reporting that soldiers were having to pay for courses out of pocket to cover for the Army’s mistakes. Now the Army’s trying to make things right in the uproar that followed.

As an employer, why does hiring Veterans matter to you?

  • “The thing my mind keeps focusing on is the skills we are looking for in a solid new hire. So many of them are most commonly met with a Veteran status. Intangibles like honor and integrity are vital as we are doing work in people’s homes or businesses. Customer service and a willingness to help others are on the top of the list. Compassion and empathy… and I could go on and on.” Chris Kushmaul, disabled Veteran, franchise owner, Restoration 1
  • “Veterans are highly capable of learning and working under pressure, which is all too common during the peak season for our business. Plus, Veterans have worked next to individuals of all races, genders, ethnic backgrounds, religions, and physical capabilities throughout their military careers. They usually bring that same sensitivity to the civilian workplace.” Teresa Fiduccia, manager of Recruitment and Retention at American Residential Services (ARS).
  • “NewDay USA is a leading VA mortgage company. We see the practicality of hiring Veterans. Nobody knows the unique challenges Veterans face to buying a home better than Veterans themselves.” Rear Admiral Tom Lynch, executive chairman, NewDay USA.
  • “Former military leaders bring leadership, focus, loyalty and self-discipline to their practice, and these are the most common characteristics of successful financial representatives. They are passionate about helping people achieve financial security with integrity and character, and that’s at the core of what we do.” Billye Survis, Northwestern Mutual.
  • Similar to Northwestern Mutual Financial, technology start-up Origin8 is building its business with a sturdy Veteran foundation. “Our advocate role requires skills such as social perceptiveness, building rapport, service orientation, discipline, enthusiasm and active learning,” says co-founder Mike Corey, a Vietnam Veteran. “We’re not looking for industry experience; rather, we seek employees who possess these traits and we see them in Veterans. We’re excited to add hundreds of Veterans to our team – working virtually in an environment of community and security.”
  • Blackstone – and the portfolio of 200 companies in which they have invested – take pride in the 90,000+ Veterans, spouses and caregivers they’ve hired to date. “Our ongoing commitment to hiring, developing and retaining these individuals is rooted in our firm’s appreciation of their service to our country and in the adaptability, ingenuity, determination and resilience they demonstrate on a daily basis in the private sector, from front-line operational roles to C-level leadership positions.” Jason Santamaria, managing director Blackstone and Marine Corps Veteran.

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One things I remember from the military was that there was very little racism. I looked this up and I was correct. The military has a much better score on racism than the private sector.

Why is this?

  1. We all wear the same uniform.
  2. We all depend on each other.
  3. We have common goals.
  4. We even know all the cadence songs.
  5. There is no color in the military.

I have found that those who were colored in the military, were great guys. I had real close friends that were colored.

I never thought of them as black, brown, yellow, or latino. They were just one of my buddies like anyone else.

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I had a special colored friend at Ft Gordon. He was wise and friendly. We sat many times discussing the world. I learned so much from him. He was very sophisticated as well. He smoked his pipe and spent his off time relaxing and reading. No trips to the bars like most the guys would did.

He was a great example to me.

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This is a true short story from my upcoming book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of life.

If you want to see more excerpts, or catch up on the progress of the book, come back often.

BETTER YET!

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How are you doing? Did you have close friends in the military? Did you lose some of them?

FEAR NOT!

There are 12,120 fellow veterans on this site who have your back.

However, if you are wallowing in you own self pity, GET HELP!

Here is a toll free number to call 24/7.

There are highly qualified counselors there to help you. They will no hang up until they know you are Ok.

Give yourself new life!!

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!

___________________________________

+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.