Author: TSO

I was rereading Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield last night and I came across the passage below. It has always struck me as my favorite passage, because my experience has reinforced the validity of it, but wonder what some of you other veterans have to say.

I’ve talked to Brown Neck Gator several times about how our visit to Camp Blanding, Florida to be OPFOR for the 48th out of Georgia was one of my most fun experiences in the Natty Guard. Honestly, it was so ridiculous it actually transcended believability. It rained almost every day we were in the field. Our fighting positions were dug by tractors, and then immediately filled about half full with rain in the first 24 hours. I remember one of my fellow team leaders sitting in a fighting position with water up over his waist, and he was clinging to a metal pole that once had held the poncho up, but the deluge had rendered that point moot. When I pointed out to him that lightening was striking nearby and that clinging to a pole in water was not conducive to extended life, he said “F it. If I get hit maybe I can come out of the field.”

At our train up for Afghanistan our Battalion CO managed to not lock on water resupply. I probably don’t need to tell you that this is a bad thing at Fort Polk in June. We had gone about a day with very little water, and were continuing to press forward to where we needed to set up defensive positions. I was moving up and down the line checking on my troops as we humped down the road. It was unbelievably miserable, which for some reason always makes me somewhat giddy. I made it to the back of the line and found my Alpha Team Leader, Sgt Magnanelli walking away and making weird hand movements with his pinky finger straight and the rest of his hand somewhat curled. I asked him what in the holy hell he was doing. He told me that he was doing the hand arm signal to thank me for throwing such a delightful tea party. While it doesn’t seem as funny now, at the time I was near paralyzed with laughter. From there on out, everytime things got to be ridiculous he would thank me for inviting him to the tea party.
(more…)

OK, so in addition to riding the [VV&IVAW] crazy train this week I have been struggling with 2 of my greatest fears. Those who know me well know I am afraid of only 3 things in this entire world: young women, telephone calls and paperwork of any kind. All three of those particular bars of kryptonite give me paralyzing fear.

So, I avoid all three as much as possible generally. Caro is limited to 20 min phone calls, and I almost never do paperwork. But this week, after all the procrastination I could manage I had to finally turned my attention to filing for the bar exam.  67 pages of info and $620 later…..as of 2:12 this afternoon I am scheduled to take said exam on July 28. I asked the guy to move it because I might not be recovered from my birthday the week before, but he kindly informed me that such was impossible.  (BTW- The guy who took my Application was a 27 year Air Force retired E9, which somehow made me feel fairly confident it would not get lost.)

So anyway, while I will be posting here, I might be absent a bit more than I have been. I haven’t lost my love of blogging, or immersed myself so much in the world of Azeroth that I am wearing breeches and a hauberk to work.  I will most likely merely be studying that huge ball of excitement that is Criminal Procedure. (Assuming that is even on the test, which I have no idea what is on it.)

If anyone out there is a lawyer, or has friends who are lawyers or a lawyer neighbor you can burgle without getting caught (do not try this, and it is not my advice to do so), I am the poorest dude any of you know, so any study aids you could loan would be seriously appreciated. I don’t have the money or the patience to sit in bar prep courses, and thus I will be doing this in my basement dwelling. So, if anyone has law CD’s, practice MBE’s, flashcards, notes, game of hungry hungry hippos you named after Supreme Court Justices or anything else, I would be indebted.

And I included the chick above because she’s kinda hot. I think when I pass I will throw a party and make Caro dress like that. Although it would be much cooler if teh chick was carrying a lightsaber.

Our new friends at KKTV reprint a press release from Rick Duncan/Strandlof’s latest veteran organization, the Colorado Veterans Alliance;

“Rick Duncan has been active in Colorado Veterans issues and politics forabout two years, thru an organization called Colorado Veterans Alliance (CVA). He introduces himself as a former Marine CPT, a Naval Academy Graduate and wounded & disabled veteran from an IED in Fallujah, Iraq.

CVA has been involved in a number of worthy veterans issues, such as thelawsuit to stop the city of Colorado Springs from removing homeless veterans and their personal property from locations around the city, to toxic smoke exposure to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, and recently an initiative to provide homeless veterans with a one-stop solution for housing, counseling, job placement and GI Bill information.

Earlier this year, he sought several people form the Colorado nonprofit and veterans community to take CVA from being a “one-man band” to a full nonprofit involved in veterans issues. I was one of several people who accepted the invitation, and began to draw together the proper resources, contacts and documentation to realize this plan.

As a result of those efforts, and following a meeting with Sen. Mark Udall’s office, we determined that Mr. Duncan had fabricated his entire career. He was not a Marine Officer, did not attend or graduate from the Naval Academy, and was never deployed in combat or suffered wounds. His real name is Richard Glen Strandlof.

We promptly reported our findings to the FBI, who immediately opened an investigation. They requested we do nothing to alarm Mr. Duncan/Strandlof so they could continue to investigate any fraud claims. We (CVA) did officially request he stop engaging in any fundraising, and focus exclusively on the homeless shelter initiative.

Yesterday, the FBI requested that we arrange a meeting with Mr. Duncan/Strandlof, and not alert him to the fact that the FBI wanted to question him. At the meeting, an FBI Special Agent identified himself, asked him if his name was Duncan or Strandlof, in which he answered “Both.” The FBI escorted him away for questioning, and later arrested him on an outstanding warrant in El Paso County.

The CVA is convening a special board meeting this evening to consider removing Mr Duncan/Strandlof from the board. After consultation with other Board members, we will be meeting privately, so as not reveal any information that might compromise the FBI’s investigation.

We have no other comment at this time, due to the ongoing Federal investigation. When we are able to fully release all the details of this incident, we will gladly do so.

Dan Warvi
Colorado Veterans Alliance”

They could store it in a thimble somewhere.

Testilying; “I do believe that guy participated in a falsified homicide investigation.” – Pat Tillman Sr. on Gen. McChrystal, new commander of military operations in Afghanistan | FLASHBACK: Ringbearer; McChrystal ran the Joint Special Operations Command, home of an “executive assassination ring” | Of Course; “I think the choice is excellent. I think you’d be hard put to find anyone better than Stan McChrystal.” – Dick Cheney

Seriously, is there anyone who buys into the “Executive Assassination Ring”? How about instead of writing this shit up you try and find your ass, Michael? It should be right around your head.

Doing this post without profanity is going to be really f*&^ing hard. Those f*&^ing dirtbags from Kansas are coming to protest the burial of one of my brothers. I already have 3 of my brothers from A-stan going with me (Anon, Wolfpack and Sniper), and I would like about 50 more of you.

Our brothers name was Staff Sergeant William Vile.

Staff Sgt. William D. Vile, 27, died Friday when his unit encountered direct fire from insurgents. Two other soldiers were killed during the attack in Afghanistan’s Konar Province.

Vile’s mother, Donna, travelled to the Dover Air Force Base Sunday as her son’s flag-draped coffin arrived back home. DNA tests are expected to be returned later in the week to confirm the identity of the remains, but military officials confirmed Vile was killed in action.

Staff Sgt. Vile joined the Army shortly after graduating from Lincoln High School in Northeast Philadelphia. He received two Purple Hearts for wounds sustained supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

“He was very, very good at what he did and if anybody could have got away, he would if they could have got away, because somebody can strike and it’s all over,” Donna Vile said.

Staff Sgt. Vile was set to be married this summer. Family members said they plan lay him to rest at Arlington National Cemetery.

And I will be god damned if I will let these sonsabitches cause that family pain while they lay him down to sleep.

So, I hope to see you guys there.

This will save the lives of our deployed brothers and sisters.  Never should have come to this, but thank you Sir.

In a dramatic and high-profile reversal for his young administration, President Barack Obama is seeking to block the release of 44 photographs depicting abuse of detainees in U.S. military custody in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Justice Department had already agreed to release the photos by May 28 in response to a lawsuit, but Obama is shifting course.

Let the wheels on the  bus run those friggin photos over, no tears here.