UPDATE 1! Help find some friends...

Posted By Mr Wolf

UPDATE 1:  It's incredible.  After 24 years, I've found one of the people mentioned below.  I'm not going to say WHICH one, just yet, but I wanted to let you know one has been 'found' and contact made.  AND WHAT A SURPRISE IT WAS.  Just. Incredible.  And it was joyous. 
I"ll go into details soon; I'm still trying to make contact with the other two- we're REALLY close. Keep the info coming- all of it helps.  AND TO THOSE WHO PROVIDED INFO- THANK YOU!

ORIGINAL POST: Well, I've been thinking about this post for some time.  Knowing the power of the internetsington, I need to post a small request.  I'm not gonna use Classmates or Find-A-Friend or any of that stuff, 'cause they just can't work right.

I need some help finding some old compatriots that have fallen off the map long ago.  I'm hoping some of you can at least point me in the right direction.  Or may have served with them.  There are 3 that I'm hoping to get locales on:

1.  Jeffery Bailes- this guy is hard to miss.  He's about 6-ft 3, probably close to 230lbs by now, was bald before bald was bad.  Medic type.  Went to ROTC and Airborne with me, but left ROTC before commissioning.  Went active duty before I was graduated. Not sure of his first assignment, but I believe it was Germany.  But could be wrong.  This would have been '85 til later time frame.  I would believe he was a lifer.  From Ohio

2.  Craig Reardon-  or Riordan.  Don't remember exact spelling.  Jungle Expert badge, wanted to go Public Affairs before even I knew what it was.  SoCal guy- and TOTALLY SoCal.  Skinny, but tough.  Went thru some 'training' in Ft Lewis with me.  

3.  Elizabeth Peto - last but not least.  OBC together- best of friends.  Signal, former DI, and top marathon runner.  Had a married name of Rickel at one point.  Went to Signal Bn in Germany, and lost touch after a year there.  Hungarian.  One tough chick.  She still owes me a pull-ring off my reserve parachute.  I'll tell that story someday.  Oh, her Hungarian name was Erzike.  Muffed ABN school due to heights issues.

If anyone has served, or heard of them, write me at the.mr.wolf at the gmail dot com address. 

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Blog World Military Track Sneak Peek

Posted By Laughing_Wolf

Okay, a while back I announced that pre-registration for the free military track memberships to this year's Blog World and New Media Expo was underway.  I want to urge you to pre-register even if you are just thinking about it as we may have a surprise or two to announce, and space will be limited.  This offer is open to all current serving members of the armed forces and all veterans. 

The first thing I'm very happy to announce is that Greyhawk has agreed to be the host/MC for the military track.  Having a voice and face for radio, I am very glad to have him agree to do this.  We are very lucky to have someone of his experience do this.  

Second, here is a small sneak peak at some of what we have planned:

Panel 1: Surprise for now
Panel 2: Social Media: Force Multiplier for Spouses?
Panel 3: Media and the Military: Myth versus Reality
Panel 4: Ideal versus Field: Social and New Media In Less Than The Best Circumstances
Yeah, we are still working on that last title…

A quick hint for now, since BWE is all about reaching new audiences, we just confirmed a significant outside participant for Panel 4.  I will also hint that a very interesting science fiction writer has agreed to be on Panel 3.  

I'm pleased to announce the spouse panel put together by Cassy Fiano, who took on the job and had it done in less than a day. It has been a true pleasure to work with her on this. 

Social Media:  Force Multiplier for Spouses?
New and Social media have changed how spouses communicate with each other and share information within their companies and with other groups. It also is changing how spouses cope with the stresses of being separated and with having their other halves in harm's way.  Join spouse blogger and journalist Cassy Fiano, journalist and commentator Melissa Clothier, and spouse blogger Cassandra of Villanous Company as they explore how changes in media and technology are changing the world of spouse blogging.

There is more to come.  In fact, if some things work out, much more to come.  This is a great time and way to learn more about new and social media, meet new people, meet up with friends, and have a good time doing it.  We do hope to see you there! 

LW

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Day-By-Day Fund Drive Final Stretch

Posted By Laughing_Wolf

Chris Muir not only does a good strip, he goes the extra mile. To do some strips on Iraq, he went to Iraq on embed.  He is generous with his help to a number of troop support charities, not the least being Soldiers' Angels and Cooking with the Troops.  It is now the final days of his annual fundraising drive, and I hope that if you have not already done so, that you consider helping out.  His strip, and all he does, is surely worth a few cents a day. 

LW

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Happy 100th You Served Radio!

Posted By Laughing_Wolf

Tonight is the 100th show for You Served Radio.  I understand that a number of things are in the works, so check it out. 

UPDATE:  Last minute schedule bump means no LW or CwtT. 

LW

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Two Things...

Posted By Grim

Doc Russia, former Marine rifleman and now a medical doctor, was one of the original milbloggers.  He was up in his old hometown last week, and took some time to drive around with his memories.

The last place I drove to was the recruiter's office. The Marine recruiter was not in, and I was a little disappointed, but not surprised about. Even when I enlisted, half my lifetime ago, they were usually out visiting high schools or doing other community activities on fridays. It is unfortunate, because I wanted to tell them something. I wanted to hand them my impressive looking business card, show them pictures of my beautiful wife and adorable child. I wanted to tell them about all of the exciting things I had accomplished, the places I had gone, and the adventures I had had. This was so that they could tell these young teenagers that of all of these things which I had and had done, none of them could have happened if I had not come to this unremarkable cubicle in a non-descript office park first....

I was a 17 year old on a bus leaving a hometown which held all the friends I held most dear to me (and still do) and headed towards an infamous swamp of an island run by the most fearsome men of history, known for only two things: the trials it inflicted and the men that survived.

I imagine those recruiters would have been proud to know what you went to tell them, my friend.

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Chicago Exhibit of Historic Swords

Posted By Grim

I know we've got some Chick-a-Go readers, and I know we've got some folks interested in military history and antiques.  If any of you are in both camps, you may be interested in this exhibit.

Never before has a Chicago area museum presented such a wide spectrum of such weapons from Africa and Western Europe to Eastern Asia. It also is the first major edged weapon museum exhibition in the Chicago area in over half a century.

The exhibition, which will run through November 14, 2010, features a collection of 50 swords and daggers, including a bronze sword from Luristan, Iran, (1500 b.c.), the oldest in the collection, and a Schivona from Venice, Italy, (1600-1650 a.d.). It provides an exceptional panoramic view of the origins, development, and ultimate evolution of this type of edged weapon. All swords and daggers are excellent to superlative examples of their type. A few are so rare that they may be the only ones in known existence.

If any of you go, send pictures.

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Warrior Legacy Foundation adapts new 'Fight Song' -

Posted By Mr Wolf

Blackfive posted up a few weeks ago a song and video that is just too HOOAH! not to listen to.  You can find that post here for The Warrior Song.

Since then, the Warrior Legacy Foundation has worked with the song's creator, Sean, and his team to 'adopt' the song for the Warrior Legacy Foundation.  Now, the WLF and The Warrior Song are one and the same in promoting its use for our Warriors!  The WLF has 'adopted' the song as its 'fight song'.

It's such a perfect fit.  If you haven't seen it, take a look at it now.  Be sure to pick up a copy of it and spread it around! 

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Blood Pressure Check of the Day

Posted By Mr Wolf

While doing my usual perusal of the internets while working (loosely defined) I headed over to JALOPNIK to see what the latest auto news was.

And came upon this entry, which at first I thought was awesome.  Seems the USAF has built some wondercars to showcase for recruiting efforts.  Some super-hi-tech stuff, which I doubt someone could pilot out of their garage, let alone drive down the freeway.

A peek:

Now, these are awesome.  But then I started looking at the comments-

Triborough
1:05 PM on Wed Jun 3 2009

If anyone is dumb enough to join the military, they'll love this car!

Then, some troll named 'Elwood' chimed in:

elwood
1:46 PM on Wed Jun 3 2009

@pauljones: Cheesy awesome is only awesome for about 5 minutes. Then you realize that it's just stupid. Like these cars.

@Alfisted: Or they coulda skipped the military, put the maximum contribution to their 401k, and been better off overall. If you really are highly intelligent and college educated, you're probably too smart for the armed forces.

And it goes on.  One of the longer chain of comments I've seen on the blog.  Its hideous.

Mr Wolf

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Cowboy Colonels and Imperial Stormtroopers

Posted By Grim

Our friend COL David Maxwell sends a piece from The Times of London:

...The American commander in Iraq has made history already. Which is why I'm in such a hurry to see him write it. On his watch, Iraq has turned a corner, with a dramatic decrease in violence, the pacification of provinces where al-Qaeda once held sway and the retreat of foreign-backed militias before a newly resurgent Iraqi national Army. Iraq is now on course to join Turkey and Israel as one of the Middle East's few functioning democracies.

Petraeus is an intellectual in battledress, a standing rebuke to the caricature of the American military as dumb Cowboy Colonels and dumber Imperial Storm Troopers. There's a proud tradition of scholars in the British Army, from Basil Liddell Hart to Rupert Smith, distinguished authors both. But a tradition of condescension towards America has blinded many Britons to the intellectual quality of the US military.

The British shouldn't feel bad -- this is a blind side shared by many, even in Amerca.  I've met a few "cowboy Colonels," but no dumb ones.

One of the great secrets of the US military is just how much time its officers and enlisted spend in school, both internal, professional schools and traditional academia.  An intellectual bent is often found among combat commanders, like Marine Corps General Mattis.  I happen to know the aforementioned Colonel Maxwell, a Special Forces officer, is another who loves to read and think as well as to command men in the field.  I value the readings he sends, and our occasional discussions.

Because it is knowledge put to practical purpose in the world, military officers less often have time to write the monographs that are the meat of academia.  They often are focused on passing problems of the moment, the business of keeping the world together, and cannot spend the time they would prefer on examining a question of history.  They are nevertheless keenly aware of our history. 

America is fortunate that citizens who are both intelligent and courageous choose to serve her in this way.  They, more than any technology, are the strength of the military -- and the country.

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"From Baghdad With Love"

Posted By Grim

Al Mahaba radio -- "Love," in Arabic -- is Baghdad's first radio station that is by women, for women.  It reaches across the city, and into the northern and eastern provinces.  It has been around for a while, but remains struggling, and often unable to pay its staff.

I mention it both to draw it to your attention, and also because it is supported by the kind of peace group we could use more of in the West.  These are people whose first concern is with the people of Iraq.  While not supporting the war, neither do they call for the reckless abandonment of the Iraqi people.  Rather, their concern is partnership with and support for the women and children of Iraq -- a goal that many in the US military heartily share.  Their first interest is with the people of Iraq, not themselves.

Opposition to war, even this war, can be honorable.  That requires, however, a clear-eyed focus on the fate of the millions of noncombatants whose lives hang in the balance. 

For that matter, so does support for the war.  Those of us who supported the war did so out of a hatred of tyranny and mass murder, and concern for the use of terrorists as an instrument of the state -- a weapon that undermines the distinction between civilian and combatant, and puts innocents at risk worldwide.  We are right to demand of the peace movement that it not forget the people who might be left behind, and their fate in the chaos that could follow a hasty withdrawal.  We must also remember those people ourselves, defend them and raise them up.

That is what counterinsurgency is:  pulling a society out of the grasp of tyranny or the chaos of war, and connecting it to the broader human society of freedom and prosperity.  It takes patience and honor.  This was the Surge, as Greyhawk says -- with ample evidence, though only the barest slice of what could be said.  There will come a day when we are proud, as a nation, of what we have done for the people of Iraq. 

But proud or worried, for now, the proper focus is on her innocents.  We must defend them, and fight those who would use them as pawns, or weapons, or shields.  We must help their fighting men as they establish control of their cities, and defy those same groups.  If you watch that slideshow you will see women and children free, again, to move on the streets of Basra.  They are free because of the Iraqi Security Forces, who fought for them -- for now, still needing our support.

That is the Iraq we want to flourish.  It is worth keeping the eye focused on that goal.  It will justify all sacrifices, repay all costs, if we reach it. 

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