Fear is Something Many Soldiers Have to Face Every Day.

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Stolen valor, the term for when civilians pretend that they served in the military, isn’t always bad, at least when it takes down racist dirt bags. Specifically, one Army veteran-turned-FBI-informant named Joseph Moore won the trust of a Ku Klux Klan cell in Florida by coming up with fake war stories and pinning false medals to his hat.

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All U.S. service members, even if they are fully vaccinated, now have to wear masks indoors if they are in an area where COVID-19 is raging. Many troops thought the pandemic was over, but now it’s back to the mask, and just in time for the hottest month of the year.

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The Afghan Air Force is already falling apart, despite President Joe Biden’s claims that the U.S. would make sure the Afghans could maintain it. You need spare parts and bombs to keep an air force running, and Afghanistan is zero on both.

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The Navy has charged a sailor with starting a fire in July 2020 that destroyed the USS Bonhomme Richard, an amphibious assault ship that became engulfed by an inferno for days as the ship was docked in San Diego, California. The ship cost $1.2 billion to build, but it only took a few days for it to burn beyond repair.

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“We have to be honest with the American people, who pay for this – not only in money but also in blood and treasure.” That’s from John Sopko, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, who took reporters through all the mistakes the U.S. made in Afghanistan over the past 20 years. The result: a resurgent Taliban and little to show for the thousands of Coalition and Afghan troops and citizens who died there.

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‘You’re gonna keep your A-10 Warthogs and you’re gonna like it,’ is essentially what Senators said to the Air Force after it tried to cut 42 A-10 attack planes from its fleet in its fiscal year 2022 budget proposal, reports yours truly in this piece. The A-10 is a legendary attack plane that has saved the bacon of countless ground troops over the past 45 years, but it is getting older and Air Force officials worry it’s not up to face China in a big war.
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Here may be the last excerpt for a while. Time to send the book off to the publisher.

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F.E.A.R

(1) Forget Everything and Run, or

(2) Face Everything and Rise.

The choice is yours

Fear is one of the inevitable things a soldiers must face. I faced it a few times. The worst time was when I was on a plane ready to fly to the Bay of Pigs. I was ready to serve my country, but not knowing what was going to happen caused the fear.

In the dictionary fear is described as:

  1. A distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil or pain.
  2. Concern or anxiety.
  3. To be worried or afraid.
  4. Reverential awe, especially towards God.

All of us on that plane tried to hide our fear. We were supposed to be men/women. We were not supposed to think about what might happen to us. In reality we all thought about not returning home. We thought about loved ones. We thought about the unknown we were facing.

It is hard to face fear. John Wayne said, ” Courage is being scared and saddling up anyway.” This is the man who played the parts of heroes all his life. Many of his films were military films.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, “We have nothing to fear, but fear itself.”

Fear isn’t something that is a cowardly act. It is an honest reaction to what is happening around you.

I have faced my own fears. I was within hours of death when I was rushed to the hospital in and ambulance and had quadruple by-pass surgery on my heart.

When you see a car coming at you, head on, while driving on a highway, You don’t act in a cowardly manner, you react. You take action to save your own life.

If you feel you were fearful too often while you served, don’t let that give you a feeling of failure on your part. It is just an honest feeling that often brings out the best in people.

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How is your day? Did you face fear while enlisted? Did things seem to go belly up for you?

FEAR NOT!

There are over 12,525 fellow veterans subscribed to this site who have your back.

This may not be enough for you. If so, GET HELP!!

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

There are highly qualified counselors there to help you. They will not hang up until the know you are OK.

Never face fear alone!

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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Too Many Veterans are Harassed Once They Get Into Civilian Jobs

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Military news…

A British paratrooper made himself at home in Atascadero, California on Wednesday when he crashed through the roof of a suburban kitchen during a training jump. The soldier hit the tile roof and fell right through, prompting a neighbor to call 9-1-1. Miraculously, the paratrooper suffered only minor injuries.

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Army Gen. Austin ‘Scott’ Miller, the longest-serving U.S. commander in Afghanistan, has stepped down from his post.  Miller’s exit marks another symbolic milestone as the U.S. prepares to wrap up its part in the decades-long conflict.

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Veterans Suffer Hearing Loss at a Higher Rate Than Their Peers
The American Academy of Audiology estimates that more than one million U.S. military veterans receive disability compensation for service-connected hearing loss. In fact, hearing loss is the number one service-connected disability amongst veterans, with former military members experiencing 30% greater hearing loss than the general population.

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Show us all the amazingly awful tattoos you got in the military. There was a call for images of readers’ fantastically trashy hats that they may or may not have gotten after a bender with the last of the money left in their wallets. There’s no shame or judgment here, and whether the ink is of a zombie Hello Kitty wearing a flak jacket or a Teletubby riding a tank, we are here to applaud it.

Read more about this proud military tradition, and find out how to submit your own, by checking out James’ entertaining piece here.Veterans Suffer Hearing Loss at a Higher Rate Than Their Peers
The American Academy of Audiology estimates that more than one million U.S. military veterans receive disability compensation for service-connected hearing loss. In fact, hearing loss is the number one service-connected disability amongst veterans, with former military members experiencing 30% greater hearing loss than the general population.



Maj. Gen. Robert Castellvi has been fired as the Inspector General of the Marine Corps for failing to fully prepare his Marines and sailors ahead of a training exercise last July in which nine service members drowned when their amphibious assault vehicle sank.
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But Castellvi may be only the first of several general officers to be disciplined over the sinking. Learn more by reading Jeff’s first-rate story here.“I looked back and saw that the rear end of my right wing was all in flames. ‘Oh, man, I’m hit!’ I yelled.” That’s from Lt. Col. Rob Sweet, the Air Force’s last serving prisoner of war, who retired on Saturday after 33 years of service. In this story by yours truly, I write about the time the A-10 attack plane pilot was shot down over Iraq during Operation Desert Storm. Sweet was then held captive for 19 days, released and went on to mentor countless young airmen during his long career.
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Another Excerpt from, Signs of Hope for the Military. In and Out of the Trenches of Life.

There is Never a Time When You Don’t Have a choice

In the military you are faced with many orders. Go here, Do this. You expect that in the military and since you decided to enlist, you should live the life that has been given to you there.

However, out in civilian life it is a different story, People will also be barking at you to do this and that.

I have hear people say, “I had to do it because I didn’t have a choice.”

There is always a choice! We never have to accept our fate because we feel we have no choice.

We need to acknowledge that we have the same rights of others around us.

Have you had a boss threaten you if you didn’t do what he asked? It is OK to give out directions, but never OK to threaten. The people in the private sector need to realize that they are all working together just like a unit in the military. They need to respect each employee, and have their back when they need it.

When I first came out I was treated pretty badly by a boss who didn’t like any “youngsters,” trying to infiltrate his group of workers he loved to work with. He did whatever he could to make my day miserable.

When there was a job that was somewhat dangerous, he would make me do it. When it was time for a break, he wouldn’t let me sit with the rest of the men. I let it happen by my own choice, because I didn’t have any other way to find a job quick enough to provide for my family That was with me at the college I was going to.

So I fell for the trap, “I didn’t have a choice.”

Today, you have choices, You have your rights. You can respectfully disagree and not fear of losing your job.

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There is much more to this excerpt so keep coming back to check the site out. BETTER YET! Go to the top of this page and click on “Subscribe,” When you do all future posts will directly to you inbox.

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Wellness check… How are you doing? Have you had a boss have no mercy for you?

FEAR NOT!!

There are over 12,480 fellow veterans here who have your back.

But if it is still happening to you and you are overwhelmed, GET HELP!

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

There are highly qualified counselors there to help you. They will not hang up until the know you are OK.

Never be pushed around anymore.

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.

Some Soldiers Had to Faced Bullying While in the Military

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Military news...

“If the Marine Corps is serious about fixing its failed safety culture, it must start by holding its top leadership accountable.” That’s from Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) in response to the news that the Marine Corps had suspended its Inspector General, Maj. Gen. Robert Castellvi, after an investigation found him partially responsible for the July 30 sinking of an amphibious assault vehicle that killed eight Marines and one sailor, Jeff Schogol reports. It was the disaster was the worst training accident in moA man disqualified from joining the Army allegedly returned and shot up the recruiting stationdern Marine Corps history, and it could have been prevented if leaders like Castellvi made sure Marines had basic safety skills like underwater egress training.

“It was a train wreck,” one unnamed person told Army investigators about the breakdown in communication between Fort Hood, the media, the general public and the family of Spc. Vanessa Guillén after the soldier went missing in April, 2020. That quote is part of a new, incredibly detailed report that lays bare both the Army’s failure to communicate and its mismanagement of the investigation into Guillén’s disappearance and death.

US troops leaving Somalia for elsewhere in East Africa.

A man disqualified from joining the Army allegedly returned and shot up the recruiting station.

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When I was a young boy about six years old, I had a bully that was after me on every recess. He would push me down, and harass me constantly. I wasn’t sure why the people on duty didn’t see it, but it happened.

I decided I must be a failure. He knew he had me under his control. I made up excuses not to go on recess. I didn’t share with my teacher what was going on. I was too afraid.

So why I am telling you this?

I look back on that time a lot. I was ashamed about it, and didn’t want to talk to anyone about it.

Now as I Look back I wish I would have done this.

I should have attacked him with everything I had in me. I probably got my tail kicked, because he was much bigger than me. However, it would have sent him a message that I was going to do that from now on.

I am sure the on duty people would have seen the commotion, and stopped it. Then The principal may have done something to the bully.

Where did I get brave? In the military. They taught to defend myself. They taught me how to shoot. They taught me discipline.

This made me a changed man. No one can bully me now. I will get in their face.

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I have a story about my time under my drill sergeant in Basic training. Talk about bullying. This guy had it out with me every day. The funny thing is that we became very good friends by the end of basic. Read my upcoming book, Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life, to see what actually happened.

Coming out this fall.

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How did your time go during your service? Did you have some bullies? Were their times you felt overwhelmed?

FEAR NOT!

You have over 11,350 fellow veterans here who have your back.

But! If the world is turning too fast for you, GET HELP!!

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

There are highly qualified counselors there to help you. They will not hang up until they know you are OK.

Don’t take on those bullies of life alone!

1-800-273-8255 Option # !

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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 about it.