Tag: God

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When You Serve Your Country in the Military, You Are A hero in My Eyes.

+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…

Marine veteran killed by Russian missile strike on restaurant in Ukraine
More than a dozen Americans have died in Ukraine since February 2022.

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Satellite photos, reports suggest Belarus building army camp for Wagner fighters

Satellite images analyzed by the Associated Press on Saturday showed what appeared to be a newly built military-style camp in Belarus, with statements from a Belarusian guerrilla group and officials suggesting it may be used to house fighters from the Wagner mercenary group.

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Russian attacks in Ukraine leave 3 killed, 17 wounded. Spain highlights European support for Kyiv
Ukrainian officials reported more civilian casualties from Russian shelling in the country’s east and south on Saturday, as Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez began a visit to Kyiv as a show of continuing support from Madrid and the European Union for Ukraine’s fight to dislodge invading Russian forces.

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Army combat veteran to take over key election security role working with state, local officials
An Army combat veteran with extensive cybersecurity and counterterrorism experience is taking over as one of the nation’s top election security officials, the director of the U.S. Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency announced.

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Russia says it foiled Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow as Kyiv’s counteroffensive grinds on
Russian air defenses on Tuesday foiled a Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow that prompted authorities to briefly close one of the city’s international airports, officials said.

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I have exciting news about my right hip. I was already in preop, and the next time I saw that doctor I would be on the operating table having surgery on my right hip.

Well, my primary doctor sent the orthopedic a note saying he wants me to try some pain management first.

I went to see the pain doctor and he gave me a startling request. He wanted me to cut back on my pain pills, and see what happens. I got home and decided to go all the way, and take no pain pills.

That was over a week ago and there is no pain. I mean none!

Now there could be two things that happened.

  1. The orthopedic doctor was just seeing dollar signs to get me to have an operation, and spend the money lavishly.
  2. God created a miracle. This is the one I think happened. I was in terrible pain, and knew I was going to have to have surgery. I fought going to a pain doctor. Thank God I did.
  3. The pain doctor found many other problems with my body as he inspected. So I am getting CT exams on several places on my body. (Getting older is not for sissies!)

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Does a soldier need to stay on duty if he is injured?

I had a not so fun thing happen to me while deployed to South Korea. I was a radio/teletype operator for the ASA military. ASA (Army Security Agency) is a unit that is used to monitor the airways for breaches in security. It is vital for the safety of our troops.

One day I was doing my thing monitoring the airways, when everything shut down. What I found out was the other shift did not refill the gas tank. Not a good thing.

I went out the the shed, got some gas and started filling up the generator. Half way through, I slipped. The only thing I could grab to soften my fall was the hot manifold.

I burned my hand severely. I was in great pain. I had a decision to make. Should I call down for a medic, or should I try to continue.

I decided to continue, because there was only one other operator, and he was fast asleep.

I put on Vaseline on my hand and wrapped in some bandages. I could only use one had, so it was good I didn’t need to use morse code.

I finished my shift and drove off of hill 468 with one hand, trying to shift. When got to camp I went to the medics and they doctored me up.

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Days come and days go, but it is how you use them that counts. As veterans we often fall into the darkside, and let past memories over take us. We wake up screaming with Vietnam nightmares.

Here is what I do when something like this happens:

  1. Clear out your mine of all of the negative things.
  2. Fill your mind with good thoughts.
  3. Repeat.

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Is it that simple? I think so. I know it is hard to eliminate some thoughts. They are embedded into your brain, but always keep trying to push them out and it will happen eventually. You are too important to others to let the darkside win.

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I have decided that I will keep the names of who are close friends on RallyPoint, and ask them to help in the sale of my upcoming book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of life. Keep coming back to see the progress on that book. 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.

_______________________________________________________________

+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 Scars Shows Where we Have Been, But They Don’t Show we Are Going

+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…

We salute the USS Daniel Inouye for flying its badass battle flag on the way into port
A fitting tribute to a legendary soldier and lawmaker.

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Russia is reportedly trying to recruit former Afghan commandos to fight in Ukraine
Many Afghan commandos fled the country after the Taliban took power and are reportedly now in Iran, Turkey, and elsewhere.

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Washington veteran returns from harrowing Ukraine front-line duty

Iraq War veteran Carl Larson spent many tough weeks in the front-line trenches of northeast Ukraine. Since his return home, he has been raising money to buy generators and other supplies for the International Legion of Defense of Ukraine troops.

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From Camp Pendleton to Cuba: Marine remembers the invasion that almost happened

When Thad McManus, a retired teacher who lives in Poulsbo, Washington, spoke about the Cuban Missile Crisis to his history students at Sammamish High School in Bellevue, he wasn’t quoting from a book. He’d been there.

( I was there too.)

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US, South Korea and Japan vow to increase defense cooperation amid North Korean threats

Diplomats from the US, South Korea and Japan agreed to strengthen their countries’ shared defensive measures in light of North Korea’s missile tests.

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I haven’t done this in a while, but I am going to share another chapter from my upcoming book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life. Keep coming back to see more excerpts. 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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Scars Can Show Where We’ve Been, But They Don’t Show Where We Are Going

One of the hardest things for us as veterans and current soldiers is dealing with the scars we have had from the past. It may be a physical scar, or it may be mental or emotional. We can’t keep living in the past. Much of it is too painful to relive again. Yes, the present isn’t exactly rosy sometimes either, but it is here, and we need to deal with it. The one-day-at-a-time thought works for me. I just do what I need to do to make it through each day, and I am thankful when I have made it.

The future is something we can’t always control, but we can help shape it by being eager to take it on and conquering it with our determination and guts.

I feel deeply of those of you who have physical scars. I also feel deeply for those of you who have mental and emotional scars. I have been to the mountain with these kinds of scars.

Strive to never give in to the dark side thought of doom and gloom. Look for the bright side, and share it with others around you who need it as well.

This reminds me of Kris Kyle the sniper who was famous for his accuracy, and how many lives he saved by eliminating the enemy who was about to kill our soldiers. He was a tough and no nonsense kind of guy, and yet he lost his live trying to help a fellow soldier who was battling his own demons. Kris was trying to help others even though he had his own dark times.

Never give up! There may be walls in your way, but you will overcome them with perseverance.

Let someone pile expectations on you, and then exceed them. Your biggest goals in life become your biggest achievements. If you have discipline and drive, you don’t lose. You cannot lose. New ideas are sometimes scary, but can end up something special. Walls: They separate, divide, and isolate. But walls can always fall.

What we have to remember is that we have to go through the pains of life to achieve the joys. Pains actually inspire growth. 

I saw those words recently and at first I thought, Easy for you to say! Most people don’t know what real pain is. My neighbor recently complained she had double abscessed teeth. Knowing how painful that is, since I have had abscessed teeth myself, I thought about those military servicemen and women have lost their legs, arms, or are going to be in a wheelchair the rest of their lives. The level of pain is relevant to only what you are really going through.

We must always remember: With God on Our Side, who can be against us? No one!

IWILL

It is hard enough to exist in this cruel world without adding pain and mental strain to our lives. We need to battle the elements that attack us with vigor and valor, just like we would on the front lines, in the trenches, as we face the enemy. Stand strong and be brave.

Think about this

Isn’t it interesting how it takes bravery to face this world, but it takes even more bravery to give it all up to God?

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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.

_______________________________________________________________

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.

Posted on

US to send another $1 billion in military aid to Ukraine to Help Them Fight

+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…

This airman helped gather 1,500 pounds of food and supplies to help Ukraine “I wanted to make sure this drive had a meaningful impact on the people of Ukraine who were in need.”

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This 4th-generation pilot may soon fly 5th-generation Air Force fighters
“We all know that the Air Force is like a family away from family, but for me, it literally is my family.”

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US to send another $1 billion in military aid to Ukraine
The new aid includes ammunition to support National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems, or NASAMS, and High Mobility Artillery Rockets Systems, or HIMARS, according to the Pentagon.

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New study on tinnitus adds heft to findings on scourge of US vets

A meta-analysis published Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association Neurology says that 14% of all adults have the condition, which causes ringing, buzzing or roaring noises inside their heads that only they can hear.

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North Korea mocks DC memorial’s new Wall of Remembrance as ‘ceremony play’

The Korean War Veterans Memorial was rededicated in a ceremony on July 27 to include a new Wall of Remembrance that contains the names of over 36,000 American and 7,100 South Korean augmented troops who were killed during the 1950-53 war.

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US strengthens military ties to Indonesia as tensions grow with China

Super Garuda Shield, which kicked off Aug. 1 and ends Sunday, includes smaller contingents of troops from a dozen other nations.

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4 al-Shabab terrorists killed in US airstrikes
U.S. forces, in coordination with the Somali government, launched three airstrikes against the terrorists who attacked the Somali troops Tuesday near Beledweyne, Somalia, AFRICOM said.

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COVID is behind me now. Don’t ever want to go through that again. I am convinced that I didn’t have my shots I would be gone by now. Those who think it is a hoax check with me.

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I haven’t shared an excerpt from my upcoming book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life, so one follows:

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Military Spouses Have a Huge Task

“Military counts on spouses more than any other job.”

Chief of Staff of the Army, General Ray Odierno (Retired)

One of the toughest situations in the military has to be for a spouse who is left behind during a time of deployment.

I was single when I was deployed to Korea. I was married for only a couple of months before I got out of the military, so I don’t have firsthand experience about this. But I have read many different spouses’ thoughts regarding how it was for them to be at home alone to take on all the tasks by themselves. This chapter will discuss their thoughts and hopefully give you some insight into the world of being a spouse at home during a deployment.

I guess the most important place to start is noting that there are both male and female spouses who are left behind to “hold down the fort,” while their loved one is gone. There are many wives/mothers who are deployed as well as husbands/fathers.

I have found that it may be a little harder for the man who is left behind for a couple of reasons. The most glaring one is the friend circle, or the lack of it. Men often don’t have a very big circle of other male spouses of deployed wives to share their struggles and frustrations with.

They also have to face the few (who, in my opinion, are uneducated) who look down on a man who stays behind and isn’t on the front lines himself. They are ignorant of the fact that in the real world many mothers go off to work and the dad is “Mr. Mom.”

There is no shame in this anymore than in a wife staying home and caring for the children and household.

In general what follows is what either male or female parents go through to survive in the home environment.

It seems they are always at their limit. They need to get kids off to school. Need to clean the house. Take time to do the bills. They are off to the grocery store. Pick up the kids at school. Take them to soccer practice. Pick them up afterwards. Prepare all the meals. Take out the trash. Do the laundry, and put the kids to bed.

I could list many other things the at-home spouse must do, but what I have written so far leads to a very stressful day. As a matter of fact it can be downright overwhelming.

As if all of these concerns weren’t enough, they also worry about their spouse who may be in harm’s way. They worry about enough money coming in to support the family. They may have to get jobs to help out, which leads to daycare issues or older children being home alone at times.

Speaking of the children, they seem strong. They seem to be coping better than the spouses in most cases. However, there are the times they realize their other parent isn’t around and they miss them. They begin to cry and need hugs and love.

It is extremely important that there is a circle of friends for support, male or female. Those friends shouldn’t just say, “How’s your day?” and not really mean it. They need to actually want to know how your day is. They need to sit and listen when you need them.

The distance (both emotional and geographic) between them and their spouse can be very hard. There are missed moments. There are lonely nights. There are times they are angry because they have to make so many of the decisions.

Then when the spouse returns after a long deployment, the dynamics and rhythms of home life have often changed as the at-home spouse carries the load. That can make the re-introduction of the military person into the home a bit awkward.

How about when the spouse is home? Sounds like a perfect situation, except everything depends on what the military wants. It’s hard trying to plan leaves and vacations and special occasions. They often have to be postponed at a moment’s notice.

The on-duty military spouse also may have long hours, even up to 12- to 14-hour days. The family may feel as if the parent is still deployed even though he or she is home.

One of the hardest parts for a military family is the constant moving from one location to another. Every two to three years, they have to pack up everything and move. Each family member loses a circle of friends at the old duty post and then has to make new ones at the next location. This occurs many times during an active military person’s time of service.

There is also the problem of the spouse finding a job at the new duty post. With each move, the spouse has to start at the bottom at their place of employment—if they can find a job and/or are actually over-qualified for an entry-level position. Often employers don’t want to hire someone who will probably be leaving in a couple of years. Sometimes the spouse has to settle for a less-than-ideal job in order to contribute to the family’s finances. 

And when the military says it’s time to go to a new duty post, the non-military spouse is often the one to shoulder the details of the move. I can speak from personal knowledge on this since my daughter-in-law is married to my son who was an Army officer. They moved more than 15 times during his time in the military. They often had to pack up their belongings in a U-Haul and travel sometimes thousands of miles and unload at the other end. My daughter-in-law often had to find the new home before they moved and make all the arrangements. She spent endless hours cleaning, packing, and planning the trip.

One of the toughest times for the military family is the holidays. It’s hard if the family is unable to see the extended family at this time of year. And it’s doubly hard on the family if a parent is deployed. At Christmas, the kids really feel sad because Mom or Dad isn’t there to open presents with them. This is when the at-home spouse really has to be brave and do whatever they can to smooth this time over.

Trying to find happiness in a military family during deployment is tough at best, but I received a note from a woman who told me, “Other people are not responsible for your happiness.” That tough-love statement is very true. We can’t expect other people to make us happy. We need to find our own happiness, and hope that our spouses will also help us in finding that happiness.

In concluding this chapter, I want you to know that many spouses don’t cry because they are weak. They cry because they miss their spouse. Part of that is because they wake up every day wondering if their spouse is still alive.

So to all of you, who are friends and family of those in the military, be sure to tell the military person thank you, but also tell the spouse thank you. They are heroes too.

As in every walk of life, God is the constant force to turn to during stressful times. He is close and hears your cries for help. He will give you comfort, and help you through the daily trials you face.

IWILL

This chapter was one of the hardest for me to write. My heart goes out to those who are left behind. I mentioned my daughter-in-law earlier, and I must say she was an angel in disguise for my son during his military career. She never faltered. She was always by his side. She supported him 100 percent 24/7. I can speak for my son in saying that it would have been a tough road to travel if he hadn’t had her by his side, encouraging him and loving him.

Think about this

Isn’t it interesting how some people go unnoticed who are really the wind beneath your wings?

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Keep coming back to see more excerpts from my upcoming book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life. 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.

_______________________________________________________________

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.