Category: Military issues

While Washington is closed down by Hurricane Sandy and the country is left to wonder why there was no attempt by our military to save our brave SEALs at Benghazi, one small group of Americans stands tall in the face of nature’s adversity. I’d be willing to bet that in spite of their creed, the U.S. Postal Service is on hold until the storm passes, but not the Third Herd, the 3rd Infantry Regiment of the United States Army, whose proud members will be walking their posts at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier 24/7 throughout this fierce storm while others of their regiment may be serving in far-flung areas of conflict.

As reported by the military blog, This Ain’t Hell (But you can see it from here), the 3rd Infantry Regiment, known traditionally as the Old Guard, and within the ranks of fellow soldiers, as the Third Herd, is maintaining its presence at the Tomb, in Arlington National Cemetery, regardless of the weather conditions. These dedicated young sentinels, many of them combat veterans, take a deadly serious view of their duty to guard and honor the burial place of those unknown American warriors lost in foreign battles where battlefield conditions denied the ability to identify their remains. We, as a nation, owe these guardians of that hallowed tomb a great debt, as they serve under the most adverse of conditions, such as now, during this monster hurricane, to fulfill this nation’s debt to our unknown dead.

Many of these young sentries will be soaked and chilled to the bone, shivering throughout their marching tours as Sandy passes their sacred post, but you can bet the farm they will be there, come whatever nature delivers. Their service may not quite measure up to the rigors of ground combat, but it requires a stoic, noble sacrifice which is to be honored and respected, make no mistake. You soldiers of the Third Herd, as an old combat infantryman, I think I speak for millions of my brothers when I say: We deeply respect your sense of duty, honor, country, and salute your service.

Crossposted at American Thinker

Everyone, including us, made a big deal about the sentinel at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers yesterday as they walked their post in the face of the hurricane “Sandy” while most of the nation’s capitol cowered in their homes. The ingrates at the Democratic Underground criticized them and the reason they walk that post. Well the “Old Guard”, the 3rd Infantry Regiment at Fort Meyers, VA wasn’t just guarding the Tombs yesterday. This is a picture of a firing detail at Arlington as they return from a funeral yesterday;

And a detail filling and loading sandbags to help turn back the rising storm tides;

And here’s a picture from the National Guard Facebook page which says that there are 7500 Guardsmen supporting relief efforts all along the Eastern seaboard;

So that quote about rough men doing their jobs so we can sleep soundly extends to things other than war.

They closed federal offices today in DC in preparation for the heavy rain that will finally wash away the filth covering the city, but meanwhile, Specialist Brett Hyde was walking his post, doing what you pay him to do.

The caption of the above photo reads;

Spc. Brett Hyde, Tomb Sentinel, 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard), keeps guard over the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier during Hurricane Sandy at Arlington National Cemetery, Va., Oct. 29, 2012. Hyde lives by the Sentinel’s Creed which in part says “Through the years of diligence and praise and the discomfort of the elements, I will walk my tour in humble reverence to the best of my ability”. (U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Jose A. Torres Jr.)

There are more pictures at the 3rd Infantry Regiment’s Facebook page.

The Associated Press reports that the latest exercise for the military and police are using a Zombie Apocalypse as the scenario.

Hundreds of military, law enforcement and medical personnel will observe the Hollywood-style production of a zombie attack as part of their emergency response training.

In the scenario, a VIP and his personal detail are trapped in a village, surrounded by zombies when a bomb explodes. The VIP is wounded and his team must move through the town while dodging bullets and shooting back at the invading zombies. At one point, some members of the team are bit by zombies and must be taken to a field medical facility for decontamination and treatment.

“No one knows what the zombies will do in our scenario, but quite frankly no one knows what a terrorist will do,” Barker said. “If a law enforcement officer sees a zombie and says, `Freeze, get your hands in the air!’ What’s the zombie going to do? He’s going to moan at you. If someone on PCP or some other psychotic drug is told that, the truth is he’s not going to react to you.”

The keynote speaker beforehand will be a retired top spook – former CIA Director Michael Hayden.

“No doubt when a zombie apocalypse occurs, it’s going to be a federal incident, so we’re making it happen,” Barker said. Since word got out about the exercise, they’ve had calls from “every whack job in the world” about whether the U.S. government is really preparing for a zombie event.

I think they’re trying to make me buy more ammo.