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

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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.

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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.

The Flu Bug Has Caused Me to Miss Several Military Postings

+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…

The Russian military continues its drone blitz on Kyiv
Just like London in 1940 and 1941.

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The Air Force’s top enlisted leader wants to ‘take away the stigma’ of beard waivers
“We are working to take away the stigma attached to airmen who have a medical need or a religious accommodation for facial hair.”

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Pentagon to raise military housing allowances in US by 12% on average

The new rates take effect Jan. 1 and reflect the largest year-over-year jump to housing allowances in many years. Housing allowance payments totaling an estimated $26.8 billion will be paid.

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Long-range missiles for Okinawa should come with local buy-in, experts say The Japanese Ministry of Defense by 2026 plans to base Type 12 surface-to-ship missiles at three Japan Self-Defense Force bases in the Ryukyu Island chain.

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War in Ukraine has decimated a once feared Russian brigade The bloody fate of Russia’s 200th Motor Rifle Brigade in Ukraine is emblematic of Vladimir Putin’s derailed invasion plans.

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It has been six days since I last posted here. I am in the final stages of battling the flu. It knocked me down last Friday. I am still very weak. However, I just didn’t think I wanted to miss you for another post.

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One thing I Iearned while in the military is that you can’t give up. There were times when I was not well, Other times I had injuries. The military motto is, “Do not leave your post, no matter what.”

I am sharing a chapter from my upcoming book to address that thought:

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Do I Need to Be Tough in the Military?

I spent twelve hour days on hill 468 in Korea. (That’s the number I remember. Each hill was numbered.) You were up there alone to run the whole operation. I worked in a 2 ½ ton truck with a radio shack placed on top of it.  You were closed into a little area where you could reach both walls from where you sat. The shacks were only about eight to ten feet long.

If you had trouble with claustrophobia, this was not the job for you.

One night everything came to a stop. The generator had stopped. I went out to check and it was out of gas. I had to climb up on the generator to put more gas in. I was doing just fine until I slipped. I started to fall off the generator. I grabbed the first thing I could. Unfortunately it was the extremely hot manifold. It burnt the whole palm of my hand.

There was not one person to take my place, as the soldier who was my replacement was on leave. I had to operate the radio system with my hand wrapped in a cloth, and I was in severe pain.

I could have radioed down to the base, but you were supposed to be a soldier first and a cry baby later. I finished the night. Luckily I only had about three hours to go when I had my accident. I was off duty for over a week while my hand recovered.

Have you had a sudden incident change your path? Did you feel like crying out for help, but didn’t think you should because of how tough we as soldiers are supposed to be?

I am sure many of you have while you were in the service, or are still there.

What do we do about this?

I am convinced now that there is no shame in seeking help. There is no time when you should ever feel that your integrity will be hurting if you seek help for something.

It could a minor injury or it could be harassment. It could that you need to see a counselor for some issues you are going through.

The tough guy/gal theory has no place in the military. It is good to be tough when you are in a trench fighting for your country, but when you need some special help, get it.   

Don’t let the rigors of daily military life drag you down like a huge magnate. Seek help for whatever you think you need help with. 

IWILL

So many soldiers go on with their lives in pain, because they have too much pride or fear they will be looked down on for seeking help. Never allow this to happen. Get help and this will make your time in the military, or in the private sector, go much smoother.

Think About This

Isn’t it sad how those who pick on us, for what they perceive as a weakness, have many of their own weaknesses?

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Keep coming back to see other excerpts, or updates on 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 go directly to your inbox.

+ Just found another veteran to interview. He is a submariner. Not just any submariner, a nuclear submariner. Should be a fantastic interview.

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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.