What is happening to the USA???

This is what we’ve come to???

Five, FIVE senior Taliban exremists for ONE deserter???

This one doesn’t pass the smell test already…

The five Taliban terrorists are Mullah Mohammad Fazl (Taliban army chief of staff), Mullah Norullah Noori (senior Taliban military commander), Abdul Haq Wasiq (Taliban deputy minister of intelligence), Khairullah Khairkhwa (Taliban governor of the Herat province and former interior minister) and Mohammed Nabi (senior Taliban figure and security official). They were profiled in detail by The Weekly Standard.

And what did we get in return?

Bowe Bergdahl, son of Idaho flower children Bob and Jani Bergdahl, who excelled in ballet classes at the Sun Valley Ballet School, obtained his GED, and enlisted in the Army for reasons that clearly were not associated with his “patriotic love of country.”

The mainstream media reports on Bergdahl read mostly like this assessment from the editors of The Wall Street Journal: “The return of Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl from the clutches of the Taliban is cause for relief for his family and all Americans.” That is a fair assessment on the first count, but in the opinion of most who knew Bergdahl and the circumstances in Afghanistan, the “relief” is so that he can now be tried as a deserter, an enemy sympathizer, and, some say, a traitor.

Rather than offer armchair analysis on Bergdahl, we defer to communications we received this morning from Army Rangers — forward operators in Afghanistan.

“Bergdahl was in my company — Blackfoot Company, 2nd Platoon, 1-501st Airborne infantry regiment. He deserted our unit while we were in Afghanistan — walked right off the OP. I had two close friends killed in action while looking for this piece of s–t. We endured the deployments and the ops, embraced the suck and served honorably — but this POS was not one of us. It is a soldier’s duty to survive, evade, resist and escape (SERE), and to give the enemy hell while you’re in captivity. Bergdahl was compliant with the enemy. And now word is that Obama has ordered up a promotion to Staff Sergeant. He deserted his brothers, his country and now he is now being rewarded for it? Some suggest he is just a deserter, but in fact, he is a traitor. He is no hero. I have known genuine heroes and to suggest he is among them is outrageous. Let me repeat: HE IS NO HERO!”

And on the matter of exchanging terrorists for this “POS,” another writes, “The blood on these terrorists’ hands, and the countless man hours of intel, surveillance and costly fighting that went into their capture negates any justification for this exchange. And releasing enemy combatants effectively negates our purpose for fighting, and is horribly demoralizing. Releasing enemies of the United States in exchange for a deserter? This band of ruthless thugs just negotiated a strategic defeat of the United States without any cost.”

When you add the fact that now EVERY Soldier, Sailor, Airman and Marine are now going to be individual targets, what do you think is going to happen???  I guess when the administration trades all the Taliban for the folks that will be captured, they can close Gitmo, since there won’t be anybody left…

And Rice on the Sunday shows saying, “Bergdahl served with honor and distinction.”

Honor?  WHAT honor, was his desertion ‘honor’?  Or is the distinction that he walked away?  Or maybe that he was an active collaborator???

Or is this what the administration considers honorable behavior for the military???

Bring his ass home, try him for desertion and put his ass in Levenworth…

THAT is what he deserves!

A ‘difference’ in punishment…

The old folks will recognize ‘this’ character…

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And I think most of us grew up pretty damn well…

Sigh…

WWII Posters…

Another one from the ‘civilian’ side.  Sadly I don’t know who did this one, but I kinda like the ‘drama’ of the generic American Serviceman holding the flag on the pole with his bare hands.

WorldWar6

 

War Bonds started in WWI and were used again in WWII to ‘save’ money… I remember my mother and dad having some when I was little, and they were converted to Series E savings bonds.  I also remember putting something like $100 a year into savings bonds for years in the military.

Light blogging and commenting…

Taking a little down time with friends…

Ice cream machine is in the shop getting refurbished.

Good folks on the sidebar for your enjoyment, I’ll be back in a bit.

The Last Watch…

Sometimes one gets stuck with the last watch in an organization or a ship, submarine or squadron…

Two examples-

One was my cousin who had the last watch operator watch on USS Scamp, was at the SRP when they cut her open.  He said it was a truly strange experience to be standing there with the last CO and watch the last cut be made, and the ass end of the sub be pulled away…

The other, which I was reminded of last night was the last watch at the TSC in Moffett Field when the P-3s left.  LT Xxxxx had the last watch, the only person in a vacant building, no more secure facilities, just him, a folding chair and a telephone laying on the floor.  He said he spent the last night sitting there staring at the phone, and feed Elvis (the duty mouse) french fries…  Elvis lived in the computer floor in the building and either was never trapped, or had one helluva line of kids…  The LT remembered that Elvis would come up out of the floor, sit and wait patiently for him to drop a fry.  Elvis would pick it up, disappear back into the floor, and be back in about ten minutes.  Lather, rinse, repeat, all night long.  Finally as the sun came up the next morning, he got a call.  Unplug the phone, take the chair, lock the door on your way out.  Turn in the phone and chair at supply and go get on the airplane.  He said in all his 25+ years in the Navy that is STILL the strangest watch he’s ever stood (and to this day claims he heard radio calls, ‘batphones’ ringing, etc throughout the night).

Montel Williams…

Says what many of us are feeling…

If the video is too wide, double-click it and watch it on youtube.

 

Where is the criminal investigation??? Where is the FBI?

If the administration REALLY cared, this would already be going on, and the Senate would have passed the bill that allows civil serpents to be fired, even if they ARE unionized…

I turned off the TV last night before I threw something at the TV over the hearing and the obfuscation from the three VA serpents testifying last night…

And it’s ALSO an item of discussion on the waterfront today…

Post Memorial Day…

Received this from a good friend, another Nam vet…

I received this yesterday from my Bother-in-Law, who served in Viet Nam (66-69) as  an Army Corpsman- “earning” a Purple Heart.  

For years he could not/would not talk about his time in VN. Over the last 4-5 years he finally has become involved with the American Legion , the Legion Riders and the Department of Florida Military Order of the Purple Heart of the United States of America (MOPH USA).  

The last  line  of the Poem is the most telling and something I doubt any combat Corpsman can ever do.

Wxxxxx

Medic’s Poem

Teach me, Instructor,

I need to know more!

Is being a Doc different since I’m now in the Army?

Boot camp is over,

Next comes your class.

Vietnam will come quickly.

Please teach me fast!

Triage and cut-downs, chest wounds and such!

Teach me, Instructor; I must learn so much!

You say battle dressings will be my “best friend”.

Tourniquets, hemostats…and it all starts again.

Traches, amputations, and of course CPR,

White phosphorous, AK wounds…

I’m with you so far.

Give me your wisdom!

Help me prepare!

For when the wounded start falling

YOU won’t be there.

My tour is long over.

Do you mind if I share

Some thoughts, so the next Doc is better prepared?

Teach me the soldier bleeding as I fight for his life

Will whisper, “If I die, Doc, please write my wife.”

Teach me, Instructor, when the firefight is done,

To ignore that the Corporal had a daughter and son.

Or when the booby trap smoke clears

And the chopper’s called in,

That the soldier in the poncho

Is my very best friend!

You taught me to save lives,

But it’s not over yet…..

Teach me, Instructor……

 

 

Teach me how to forget…..

I think this also applies to those in the EMS field, maybe not to the extent of military combat, but there are cases one would rather not remember/have nightmares about…

What in the hell…

Just read the transcript of the speech BO gave today at WEST POINT.  What a pile of steaming horse manure…  That wasn’t a ‘policy’ speech, it was another stop on the apology tour…

And he gave this to a bunch of new officers??? WTF???

And this comment is just…

Here’s my bottom line: America must always lead on the world stage. If we don’t, no one else will. The military that you have joined is, and always will be, the backbone of that leadership. But U.S. military action cannot be the only — or even primary — component of our leadership in every instance. Just because we have the best hammer does not mean that every problem is a nail.

Where has the leadership been the last SIX years???  China and Russia have stepped up, since they know he won’t do s**t…  If we don’t have a strong military, we BECOME the nail, because Russia and China WILL have the hammer…

There are times when those actions are necessary and we cannot hesitate to protect our people. But as I said last year, in taking direct action, we must uphold standards that reflect our values. That means taking strikes only when we face a continuing, imminent threat, and only where there is no certainty — there is near certainty of no civilian casualties, for our actions should meet a simple test: We must not create more enemies than we take off the battlefield.

Say what???  Helloooo… Benghazi… And Ukraine is a GOOD example??? Of what???

He doesn’t have a policy, he’s been smoking too much dope, or REALLY needs to take those rose colored glasses off… His only policy is go which ever way the wind blows or the polls say will get him the most votes… Sigh… now whereinthehell is my BP medicine…

Oh yeah, and not word ONE about actually WINNING…

Anddd…. Steampunk!!!

Shooty stuff!!!

SteampunkBrigid and Partner in Grime are hosting a Steampunk epostal shoot for June!

They’re filling in for Mr. Completely while he recovers from some medical issues.  Link is HERE.

Why am I ‘not’ surprised this one is a ‘bit’ challenging??? 😉

Good excuse to get to the range folks!