Out of the Darkeness

Every 16 MINUTES in the United States, a parent grieves. Every 16 MINUTES, someone commits suicide and leaves behind those who do not understand.

Find out how you can help in efforts to prevent suicide... Some Soldier's Mom

One Old, Big Ditch

A couple of thousand years before "Clinton's Big Ditch" and before "Teddy's Big Ditch" there was the
"Sui's Big Ditch".

And it created a military advantage.

AHOY, NAVY SEALS !!!

Happy Earth Day!

Your Welcome.

Dunkin' Donuts Supporting Our Wounded

Dunkin’ Donuts announced a special "Iced Coffee Day" event for April 21, when Dunkin’ stores throughout the country will sell small iced coffees for the reduced price of only 50 cents. Five cents from each cup sold will go to Homes for Our Troops, a national, non-profit organization that builds specially adapted homes for severely injured veterans.

Dunkin’ Donuts is also launching a nationwide call to recruit one million new volunteers to support Homes for Our Troops’ efforts. The first 200 people to sign up as volunteers will receive free Dunkin’ coffee for one month.

MilMovies - a ray of light

A couple of things to perhaps offer the change we have been hoping for.

First, for you EOD types, there is the new movie "Hurt Locker" from Kathryn Bigalow, the director of films including “K19: The Widowmaker,” “Point Break” and “Strange Days."

The second would be what is coming up 13-17 MAY - the third annual The GI Film Festival in DC.

The GI Film Festival is not only the premiere film festival honoring America’s troops but also the most significant film festival in the greater Washington, DC metropolitan area. Major corporate sponsors for 2009 festival include among others: Target Corporation; TriWest Healthcare Alliance; America’s Huey 091 Foundation; Pence-Friedel Developers, Inc; USO International; MGM/UA; HBO, Inc.; American Military University, and Discovery Communications’ “The Military Channel.”

Highlights of the “Seven Days in May” event include:

* 48 documentary and narrative premiere films from the nation’s top independent and studio filmmakers, including active duty GIs and military veterans;
* Sixteen feature-length films: Perfect Valor; Lioness; The Way We Get By; Jerabek; Triangle of Death; Bedford: The Town They Left Behind; America’s Marine Aviators; Inheritance of War; The Divided; Seal Team VI; Everyman’s War; Warriors in their Own Words; Injury Slight…Please Advise; Art in the Face of War; My Vietnam, Your Iraq; The Lesson is Priceless;
* “Work in Progress” exclusive screening of the feature film Lt. DanBand: The Documentary, following actor Gary Sinise as he and his Lt. DanBand entertain our troops worldwide and the many incredible organizations that support our heroes and their families. The film is directed by military veteran and Hollywood filmmaker, Jonathan Flora;
* World Premiere of Citizens United Production’s Perfect Valor, featuring former Senator Fred Dalton Thompson; produced by David Bossie (Border Wars);
* GI Film Festival red carpet premiere of HBO’s Taking Chance, starring Kevin Bacon;
* GI Film Festival red carpet premiere for “Wounded Warriors” of MGM/UA’s Valkyrie, starring Tom Cruise;
* World Premiere of the feature documentary America’s Marine Aviators;
* VIP reception featuring the launch of the new USO national publication, On Patrol;
* Special private screening for Members of Congress of the GI Film Festival’s 2008 “Best Feature Documentary,” Brothers at War;
* Presentation of the GI Film Festival’s “GI Spirit Award” to actress Karri Turner;
* A reception at the Russell Senate Caucus Room honoring military veterans in Congress featuring special guest Medal of Honor recipient Senator Daniel K. Inouye;
* VIP receptions featuring celebrities, top military leaders and warriors, and filmmakers.

Bravo Zulu, Seals (Annapolis Pays Tribute)

Savannah Trial

Was the ship pictured above involved in the last sea piracy trial held in the U.S. courts?

You know, before the next one . . .

Apology(?) or whatever it was...NOT accepted.

The typical 'I am sorry if you were offended' pseudo-apology. No 'I am sorry I said that' or 'This was wrong'.

Therefore, NO GO, Madame Secretary.

The Vet Threat

For the record, I remain gruntled. But this is disturbing:

The Department of Homeland Security is warning law enforcement officials about a rise in “rightwing extremist activity,” saying the economic recession, the election of America’s first black president and the return of a few disgruntled war veterans could swell the ranks of white-power militias.
<...>
The DHS/Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) has no specific information that domestic rightwing* terrorists are currently planning acts of violence, but rightwing extremists may be gaining new recruits by playing on their fears about several emergent issues.

DHS/I&A assesses that rightwing extremists will attempt to recruit and radicalize returning veterans in order to exploit their skills and knowledge derived from military training and combat. These skills and knowledge have the potential to boost the capabilities of extremists—including lone wolves or small terrorist cells—to carry out violence. The willingness of a small percentage of military personnel to join extremist groups during the 1990s because they were disgruntled, disillusioned, or suffering from the psychological effects of war is being replicated today.

A look into the mind of Janet Napolitano:

By the way, I'll be going to the tea party protest in Savannah tomorrow. If you're in the area, please don't stay away out of fear - the only thing I'll have to shoot people with is my camera.

More - let's get the 'enemies list' started:

Afghan vet Bouhammer: The government says I am domestic terrorist threat?

Iraq vet Lt Nixon: Dept of Homeland Security Sez To Be on the Lookout For "Disgruntled Military Veterans"

The American Legion: American Legion to Napolitano: Apologize

Off Cambodia in 1975

A ship captured by armed men.

A rescue mission.

1975. Off Cambodia.

Remember it?

Extra points if you know who was in charge of the meeting in the picture...

Notes

The President in Iraq - guess what's on that card (I guess the teleprompter doesn't work on 220 circuits) he's reading?

That would be the names of the commands in Baghdad - "Multi-National Force-Iraq, Multi-National Corps-Iraq..." Seriously, those shouldn't be that unfamiliar to their commander, right?

Full coverage here.

Making Crews and Boats

Almost every young Navy surface warfare officer wishes they or things like them were still around in the U.S. fleet.

They were heavily armed and lightly armored.

A PT Boat video fest here.

Anti-veteran discrimination on Campus?

An Army reservist employed at the University of Washington has filed suit against the institution, asserting in court papers that he has been harassed and discriminated against for serving in Iraq.

Dogs Love Trucks

And everybody loves dogs.

Via the Dawn Patrol: video from this WaPo story on military working dogs (though you must watch a brief commercial first):

My favorite scene: the dog in the conference room. That tells you something about the organization - not that it's gone to the dogs, but just the opposite, in fact.

And when the little fellers get hurt, they go Inside the New Military Working Dog Hospital.

As for the truck part, click the photo for Mike Yon's story:

And yes, there are more dogs involved.