Now that is some loose ROE

Posted By Uncle Jimbo • [October 17, 2010]

After all the back and forth about the Rules of Engagement ROE for our troops in A-Stan, this ought to be an eye opener. h/t Mr. Sparkles and this is Russian Special Ops killing terrorists in Dagestan.

Atomic Tom

Posted By Uncle Jimbo • [October 16, 2010]

Sometimes technology is so cool it makes me cry. This is one of those times. Yes it is real, yes it is Appple (boo), But Dag!

Skydiving into the Big House

Posted By Uncle Jimbo • [October 16, 2010]

Awesome video of 101st Airborne demo jumper bringing the game ball into Michigan Stadium. Watch how many things he has to take care of under canopy. Also how when he wants to just spiral in, he doesn't even use his steering toggle, just grabs a suspension line. He hits the mark, but doesn't stick the landing. I know, I know, I'm quibbling.

Role Models

Posted By Uncle Jimbo • [October 15, 2010]

via Chuck Z

A grand fiesta it was

Posted By Uncle Jimbo • [October 15, 2010]

Tanker Babe has the whole sordid tale of our (me , kev & Jihad Gene) infiltration, degradation and exhiliration in Memphis.

Military: media vs myth & surprise

Posted By Laughing_Wolf • [October 14, 2010]

The panel is underway after a surprise: Mark Burnett gave the military track a special preview of his new series. Those here got the first look outside of the production team at the first part of Sarah Palin's Alaska. Mark, a British Para, wanted the miltrack to get the exclusive peek. The naturalized American thanked all for their service and did a short Q & A as well. The regular panel of JD Johannes, Tom Kratman, and Jake Rademacher now talking.

A Good Use for the United Nations - First Contact

Posted By Blackfive • [October 14, 2010]

The U.N. Office for Outer Space Affairs thinks we can't handle meeting aliens:

We Earthlings are poorly prepared to respond should there be contact from aliens, according to the director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA).  "Statistically, extraterrestrial life is a possibility," Malaysian astrophysicist, Mazlan Othman, told journalists in New York, where she is attending a General Assembly meeting on cooperation in the peaceful use of outer space...

Read more: http://liveshots.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/10/14/u-n-and-aliens/#ixzz12NTTN2j0

We already have plenty of aliens on planet earth.  How else could you explain:

Continue reading "A Good Use for the United Nations - First Contact"

Soldier's funeral procession told to pay tolls in OK

Posted By Uncle Jimbo • [October 14, 2010]

The Tanker Babe is in high dudgeon and rightfully so. Somebody in Oklahoma is screwing the pooch and they better square themselves away.

PFC Cody Board died 4 October 2010 from wounds sustained by an IED.  PFC Board grew up in McKinney, TX but was originally from Oklahoma.  His family plans to lay him to rest in his native Oklahoma at Fort Sill National Cemetary.

I am DEEPLY disturbed by this article from USFallen dot org that states the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority has denied the funeral procession free access to take PFC Board's body home for his interment.  DEEPLY disturbed. The following is posted in an article on their site: "Considering this young warrior has paid the ultimate price you would think his funeral procession would be allowed access free of charge.  To our shock and horror, the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority, after repeated requests for an exception, has informed the family they must pay the toll fees."

When I read the article I figured it just could not be true so I called the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority this morning.  Everyone I spoke with was nice.  HOWEVER, the story is true and that, quite honestly, makes me about as angry as I've been in a long time.

 

Field vs Ideal

Posted By Laughing_Wolf • [October 14, 2010]

The next panel, Field bs Ideal, is underway with Michael Brito, Matt Burden, and Afghan Old Blue is underway.

Luncheon Sponsor: USC School of Social Work

Posted By Laughing_Wolf • [October 14, 2010]

Today, 30 plus people from the military track at Blog World are enjoying a very nice lunch courtesy of the USC School of Social Work.  In their own words:

“There’s a mental health crisis brewing in America’s armed forces. Experts say one in three veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan are coming home traumatized, and the clinical social workers who treat them are overwhelmed by the numbers. USC's School of Social Work is addressing this with the nation’s first military social work program.

This fall, the USC School of Social Work launched the <http://sowkweb.usc.edu/academic/mswatusc-index.html>Virtual Academic Center to deliver a groundbreaking Master's in Social Work program online. Through a unique learning management system, students connect to one another all across the country in live classrooms and interact in study groups, live chats, and webcam discussions, much like today's popular social networking sites.

We're participating in this year's Blogworld Expo to share the work we're doing in hopes of learning more about the military community, how we can continue to better communicate using new media, and what collaborative opportunities exist across our fields.

Find us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/uscssw
Follow us on Twitter: @uscsocialwork
Watch an overview video on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-W2x1XTed0  "

 Longtime readers know that PTSD, suicide, and related are strong issues for us here at Blackfive.  Anything that can help to deal with them is something in which we are very interested.  Check it out, and if you've got questions, drop them a line.

Panels resume at 1330 Las Vegas time, and as before will be livestreamed for those that can't be here. 

LW

Cat Herder du Jour

Spouse Panel at BWE - IS social Media a Force Mutliplier for Military Spouses?

Posted By Blackfive • [October 14, 2010]

Cassandra of Villainous Company  and Mrs. P from A Little Pink in a World of Camo are talking about experience of virtual and real support netowrks.

VFW Still Can't See The Light! (Ladies Fight Back Update)

Posted By Mr Wolf • [October 14, 2010]

UPDATE! VFW Ladies Auxiliery de-funds VFW-PAC:

Post Date: 10/14/2010 12:00:00 AM

Ladies Auxiliary to the Veterans of Foreign Wars

October 13, 2010

Dear Sisters,

In light of the VFW’s position on the most recent endorsements by the VFW Political Action Committee, effective this day, October 13, 2010, the Ladies Auxiliary to the Veterans of Foreign Wars is suspending all fundraising and promotion of VFW-PAC for the remainder of the year.

Any monies raised for PAC up to this date should be forwarded immediately to PAC for those purposes in accordance with the laws concerning political action committees.

Department Award No. 5 as seen in the 2010-2011 National Program Book on Page 20 is hereby suspended for the remainder of the year, and the program title will hereafter be known as Legislative.

Loyally,

Cortina Barnes
National President

So let's show them some 'light'- from our burning membership cards.

Duty, Honor, Country-  VFW-PAC cannot abide by it any longer.

Last night, Blackfive asked if I was going to put up another post discussing the VFW debacle- I replied that I wanted to do something this morning for it, pondering what an appropriate post would be.

I'm glad I waited.

I awoke this morning to find that the VFW-PAC, instead of properly acknowledging their mistakes, have taken this to a whole new level and dug in like the Japanese on Iwo.  Or, perhaps more appropriately, like an osterich in the sand- leaving their ass exposed.

I was fully ready today to acknowledge that the VFW commander had released an appropriate statement on the issue:

As determined in the VFW By-Laws, as the national officers, we have specific responsibilities to take definitive action when events can have a detrimental impact on the organization.  It is clear to us that the current situation now demands direct action; therefore, we are requesting the chairman and the directors of the Political Action Committee immediately rescind their endorsement actions.

This is appropriate- and likely the ONLY appropriate statement in the entire release posted here.  Why is this?  Because they put in the opening the following statement:

The VFW PAC was created by the VFW members and not by VFW national leaders.    2/3 of the delegates of the 80^th VFW National Convention (1979) voted to establish PAC as a standing committee.

 This is entirely misleading.  Why?  Because, in their own internal documents, they say this:

VFW-PAC Board of Directors

• Director - one year appointment by C-in-C
• Treasurer – one year appointment by C-in-C
• Nine Additional Members
• Two are appointed each year by the C-in-C for four-year terms; One is appointed to serve as Chairman for a one-year term.
• Ladies Auxiliary member is appointed by the National President to serve a one-year term.

This is from a slide presentation from this year, that you can see here: ( Download PAC Workshop Presentation August 2010 National Convention ).  It appears it was removed when the VFW re-did their web site this week.  And honestly, when they first did that, I was under the impression it was to 'cover up' all the material regarding the VFW-PAC.  I'm not so sure of that now, but, I have my concerns on their timing...

As you can see, THE COMMANDER APPOINTS THE BOARD OF THE PAC.  To say that this is 'separate' is disingenuous.  And the fact that, after what the Commander posted yesterday, for the PAC to say the following:

The VFW-PAC stands by the endorsement process used during the 2010 election cycle.

 You jackwagons just destroyed all of your credibility.  To refuse to understand what you've done, and to vehemently go against your own organization, smacks of elitism.  Again, I reiterate, I'm CALLING FOR ALL PAC MEMBERS TO STEP DOWN; TO REMOVE THEMSELVES FROM THE PAC ORGANIZATION.  How you are able to 'stand by' these horrific endorsements is beyond me.  The team over at TAH even shows you how pitiful it is.

In fact, I'm calling out that they are NOT doing this for the sole reason that they are attmepting to prop-up failing political candidacies by allowing those 'endorsed' candidates to use the VFW logo in their campaigns.  One way to possibly 'fix' this: the Commander of the VFW should declare that NO candidate can use the VFW logo anywhere on their campaign literature; that NO candidate can even MENTION support of the National VFW; if they want to mention local posts, fine.  That's up to the locals to deal with as appropriate.

I am also asking that if any of you know the 'backgrounds' of these board members- please write me here at Blackfive so we can see exactly what these guys are up to.  I'm insinuating that their backgrounds may be such that they fully support these candidates ON THEIR OWN, and have hijacked the PAC and the PAC process to the detriment of veterans.  Here are the members:

Salvatore J. Capirchio, Director   Member of Post 2396 in Cranston, Rhode Island
Tyrone N. Benson, Chairman   Member of Post 7686 in Alamogordo, New Mexico
Michael H. Wysong, Treasurer   Member of Post 9503 in Bayville, New Jersey
Kenneth R. Burton Jr., Board Member   Member of Post 9182 in Katy, Texas
Gary J. Goff, Board Member   VFW Post 8260 in Nashville, Michigan
Albert J. Bucchi, Board Member  Member of Post 3020 in Delran, New Jersey
Everett Martin, Board Member   Member of Post 1732 in South Gate, California
Paul A. Spera, Board Member   Member Post 144 in Boston, Massachusetts
Joe T.Wood, Board Member   Member Post 8452 in Gainesville, Georgia
James R. Mueller, Board Member   Member Post 5077 in O’Fallon, Missouri

I am going to go out on a limb here: given where most of these Board members are situtated, and their backgrounds listed on the site, I'm going to say they are definitively backing these candidates due to their political affiliations.  Take it for what that means, fellas.  I'm also saying to the Commander- these selections DO NOT represent your membership, as you can positively tell from all the calls and emails you are receiving.  Your leadership fails to represent Veterans of today.

Please, keep up the calls and emails to the headquarters!

To remind you-

Call the VFW at 1-202-544-5868.  Email them at: vfwpac@vfw.org.

VFW-PAC OFFICE:  202-544-5868  www.vfwpac.org 

 

UPDATE 1:  PLEASE go read David Bellavia's post over on his site.  OMG, it's completely snort-worthy and full of good info.  He's a damn good writer...

Evidently, VFW vets were strong enough to liberate France, send hundreds of thousands of ChiComs to hell in Korea, slap around the NVA and Viet Cong in Vietnam… but  Nancy Pelosi… is far too mighty to be tamed.

 Wolf

General David Petreaus Opening Remarks at Blog World Expo

Posted By Blackfive • [October 14, 2010]

You can go here to You Served and watch/hear General Dave Petreaus give the opening remarks at Blog World Expo's military track.

Site of the Day - In honor of the Navy's Birthday

Posted By Blackfive • [October 14, 2010]

In honor of the Navy's 235th Birthday yesterday, you should go check out Navy CyberSpace.

Blog World Expo - Military Track

Posted By Blackfive • [October 14, 2010]

Vigorous debate over the next tech to be utilized in Afghanistan or Iraq...

The good folks at You Served are broadcasting it live....so hit the link and watch the panel here in Las Vegas.