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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Am I afraid of What is Going on? What Me worry?

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Another day another dollar. That is what my mother always said, only she meant it. Times were tough when I was a child. My mother only cleared about $38.00 a week from her job and she was a single parent. However, my brother and I never went hungry. We had clothes to wear and a roof over our head. I still marvel when I think back to that time.

Because of my up bringing, I value the little things. I still have the teddy bear I had as a child. It’s in pretty good shap, and I have fond memories every time I see it. I never had roller skates, toys, or other things most kids had. We couldn’t afford them. How I got new clothes every year was to go to work on my Uncles farm.

Why am I telling you all this? I have a different outlook on much of what is going on right now.

Am I worried about the virus? Oh ya! I have several underlining problems and probably wouldn’t make it if I caught it. But, God has spared me so far so I am very thankful for each day.

Am I upset with what is going on in our cities with the rioting, looting, and arson? Certainly. What worries me the most is that the National Guard is being used, and they are in harm’s way. There are even thoughts of bringing in the regular military.

I never once thought we would ever need the regular military in our country to try to help clean up a mess.

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Let me share some military news to catch you up on what is happening. Most of what I get is from the military magazines, and daily emails from the VFW and The American Legion.

  1. Senate Holds Veterans Affairs Budget Hearing: This week, the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs held a budget hearing to discuss funding requirements due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The VFW, along with Independent Budget(IB) co-authors, Disabled American Veterans and Paralyzed Veterans of America, provided written testimony advocating for more VA funding. Due to the strain on the VA health care system, the IB recommends increased funding for staffing, PPE, and infrastructure upgrades.
  2. Veteran Employment Bill Introduced: This week, congressional leaders introduced the VFW-supported bipartisan, bicameral bill to help curb veteran unemployment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Reps. Phil Roe, M.D. (R-TN), and Mike Levin (D-CA), along with their colleagues Sens. Jerry Moran (R-KS), and Jon Tester (D-MT) introduced the Veterans Economic Recovery Act of 2020which would provide much needed support for veterans who recently lost their jobs due to the pandemic. This proposal would offer eligible veterans one year of Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to be used at approved high demand programs to get them back into the workforce as quickly as possible. The VFW applauds our congressional leaders for swiftly introducing this legislation to help curb unemployment among veterans. 
  3. VA Resumes In-Person C&P Examinations in Some Locations: VA has announced that it will resume in-person compensation and pension (C&P) examinations at 20 locations across the U.S. VA will continue to conduct telehealth examinations at locations where in-person exams have not yet resumed. If you live in one of the locations where in-person appointments have resumed, but you are unable to make your appointment or do not feel comfortable with an in-person C&P exam, please contact your service officer to reschedule. Find a VFW service officer near you to file a claim for disability benefits.

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How are you doing? Have there been tough days? Are you battling PTSD, TBI, Depression, etc?

You are not alone my friend. There are over 8,000 fellow veterans here in this site. They know what you are going through. They have been there and done that. Never feel you are alone!!

Here is a hot line to call if you just aren’t able to cope right now. It is NEVER wrong to seek help. If you need it get it.: 800-273-8255 (option #1) Call 24/7.

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Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all….never, ever, give up!