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Military news…
Pentagon Readies 8,500 US-Based Troops For Possible Eastern Europe Deployment as Tensions With Russia Simmer
At President Joe Biden’s direction, the Pentagon is putting about 8,500 U.S.-based troops on heightened alert for potential deployment to Europe to reassure allies as the Russian military appears poised for a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
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Marine Corps Identifies Deceased Marines in Rollover Near Camp Lejeune
A lance corporal and private first class lost their lives in a rollover crash near Camp Lejeune on Wednesday, the Marine Corps announced Friday. Both enlisted in the Marines in March 2021
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National Guard Leadership Grilled by Lawmakers over Sexual Assault Prosecutions
Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, was grilled by members of a House Armed Services Committee subpanel on his command’s lack of oversight of sexual assault cases within the state-based National Guard units.
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Lawmakers Want the Pentagon to Waive Tricare Copays on Birth Control Services
House lawmakers are urging the Pentagon to expand access to contraception for military family members and retirees by waiving Tricare copayment charges for related doctor appointments.
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Report: U.S. Marines Returned Fire After Suicide Bombing, but No Enemies Were Shooting at Them
A declassified military report found that some U.S. Marines fired their weapons after the Aug. 26 bombing outside Hamid Karzai International Airport—but no enemy shooters were present. Investigators said the Marines were likely reacting to warning shots fired by the British military and other American units.
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SOCOM Boss Tests Positive For COVID-19
Army Gen. Army Richard Clarke is working from home this week with mild symptoms after testing positive for COVID-19 on Sunday. Clarke is fully vaccinated and has received a booster.
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Here is another excerpt from my upcoming book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life.
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Really?
Has there been a time in the military that you weren’t proud of? I had an incident that still bothers me to this day. On one of my days off I was invited to ride with a courier to the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone.)
I thought it would be very interesting, so I accepted the invite. The driver drove pretty fast in the open area. I was white knuckling it much of the way. We did slow down when we went through some villages. The people saw us and yelled at us because they didn’t want us there. This was hard to understand since we were saving them from the enemy. I was glad I couldn’t hear what they were saying.
We came to a farm area which had thousands of acres of rice paddies. In each field there was a deep hole with human waste in it. The people used their own human waste to fertilize the fields. We also saw the local farmers dipping the “honey buckets,” into the hole to get some of the waste out.
I saw an older farmer walking along the road with along pole across his shoulder that had a bucket on either side full of the waste. The driver dared me to spin the farmer with my hands. At that time of my life, I did stupid things to be accepted.
I reached out as far as I could as we passed the farmer. I caught one of the buckets, and this caused the farmer to completely spin around. I looked back and the farmer was screaming at us with human waste dripping from him.
The driver said, “Welcome to the club!” I guess there was a group of people that thought they were special being the one that knocked a defenseless old man down.
I immediately felt remorse for what I had done. I found out I was taken advantage by a guy, who hated the Korean people and did whatever he could to make their lives miserable. That made me even more remorseful.
I learned from this that you need to respect others and what they are doing to help their families. I realized in retrospect that if someone asks you to do something you know isn’t right for you to do it isn’t a group of people you want to be a part of.
We got to the DMZ. What a depressing place that was! It was a very small outpost with guards watching the North Korean soldiers on the other side of the DMZ.
They let me look through some powerful binoculars and I could see a North Korean soldier looking through his binoculars back at me. It was a very odd feeling. He was just another guy like me, but he would probably shoot me if he could.
Today, there is still strife between the two countries, and North Korea seems to be taking on the world on their own. There is still the DMZ. There are still soldiers looking at each other through binoculars. Nothing much has changed except the lives of those who had to serve in Korea.
They had to come home to try to cope in the private sector. They had/have to adjust just to survive.
I can say that it is hard to block out some of the negative aspects of our military service. It is hard to change thoughts from the active duty mind-set to the different world of the private sector. It took me a while to clear my mind and concentrate on the future. I had to realize that I needed to move on and start a new adventure. I needed to think about the next day of my life and all the days after that instead of dwelling on days gone by.
I never regretted serving my country. I would do it again if I were able. I’ve learned that I just need to be thankful that I have another day on this earth and should seek what I can do to better my life and the lives of others.
IWILL
We have all done some things we are not proud of. We need to correct any wrong doings we have done, by asking for forgiveness or making sure we show others the negative consequences of what we do to others.
Some soldiers, returning to the private sector, have issues that stay with them from their time in the service. I understand this. I have had to re-group myself. The key is to do something about it. Don’t hide your feelings. Get the right help to get you back on track in life. There are many resources in the back of this book to help you on your way down your new path.
Think about this
Isn’t it sad how people think they’re cool when they bully or belittle someone?
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Checking in on you…How are you doing? Are you struggling?
FEAR NOT!
There are over 13,6670 fellow veterans here who have your back.
If you are battling mentally, because of your love for others, but it isn’t working, 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 no 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.
