tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39084738321325894832024-03-13T20:39:42.205-07:00Four Fans of Freedomfrom the milblogger who brought you "Duty in the Desert"Lt Col Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11333745398142734641noreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908473832132589483.post-77539543680500113662008-12-26T08:26:00.000-08:002008-12-26T08:35:01.739-08:00Merry Christmas!I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas! My fiancee and I spent a few days with her family in Kentucky and we had a great time. Many thanks to Lori and Marty for hosting us and making us feel so special!<br /><br />Below is a cool vid from Baghdad. Enjoy!<br /><br /><script src="http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/js/2.0/video/evp/module.js?loc=dom&vid=/video/world/2008/12/23/dougherty.iraq.holiday.hearts.cnn" type="text/javascript"></script><noscript>Embedded video from <a href="http://www.cnn.com/video">CNN Video</a></noscript>Lt Col Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11333745398142734641noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908473832132589483.post-70754855436651107752008-12-15T18:23:00.000-08:002008-12-15T18:34:00.131-08:00Hunting Bad Guys in BaghdadA great article by Michael J. Totten on soldiers hunting one of the most dangerous terrorist leaders in Iraq:<br /><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc00;">The tip-off came in over the phone late at night when the terrorist leader's meeting was almost scheduled to be finished. By the time everyone had their gear and was ready to go, we had seventeen minutes or less to drive across a portion of Sadr City and break down the door before the meeting was over.<br /></span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc00;">We ran to the Humvees.<br /></span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc00;">“Go with Sergeant Gonzales,” Captain Looney said to me. “When we dismount, catch up to me and stay on me.” He looked angry all of a sudden, but mostly he was just being serious. Any of us might be killed in less than an hour. </span></em><br /><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc00;">Our convoy of Humvees roared down Baghdad's streets in the dark without headlights. I checked my watch. No time to waste. We had eleven minutes to catch the bastard before his meeting was scheduled to end. Hopefully he and his pals were on “Arab time” and would hang out and drink tea for a while before heading out.</span></em><br /><br />You can read the rest "<a href="http://www.michaeltotten.com/archives/2008/12/on-the-hunt-in.php"><span style="color:#3366ff;">here</span></a>".<br /><br />PROPS: To <a href="http://www.blackfive.net/main/2008/12/on-the-hunt-for.html"><span style="color:#3366ff;">BLACKFIVE</span></a>Lt Col Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11333745398142734641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908473832132589483.post-84688711362313737962008-12-15T18:04:00.000-08:002008-12-15T18:20:28.872-08:00POTUS Uses Matrix Moves to Avoid ShoesWell, we knew it was only a matter of time before <a href="http://www.tmz.com/2008/12/15/don-king-bush-has-unbelievable-reflexes/"><span style="color:#3366ff;">legendary boxing promoter Don King</span></a> weighed in on POTUS' Matrix-like moves:<br /><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc00;">The boxing guru was so impressed with Bush's shoe evasion tactics over the weekend, that he gave a statement to TMZ saying, "Bush has unbelievable reflexes ... he can stick and move like a boxer!"</span></em><br /><br />The <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhxbYTMNMxo"><span style="color:#3366ff;">Matrix</span></a> Reloaded:<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-0YkKEr14Ac&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-0YkKEr14Ac&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /> The Seattle Mariners could use that reporter's arm in their bullpen.Lt Col Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11333745398142734641noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908473832132589483.post-72398225495938304442008-12-13T15:33:00.000-08:002008-12-13T15:34:50.596-08:00The Gift That Keeps On GivingMy perfect Christmas gift:<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/1yl2JWgGXz0&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/1yl2JWgGXz0&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />PROPS: To RonLt Col Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11333745398142734641noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908473832132589483.post-31360982218051291522008-12-13T08:55:00.000-08:002008-12-13T09:09:00.746-08:00The Dark Knight: Coming Back to a Theater Near You<a href="http://entertainmentnow.wordpress.com/2008/12/04/the-dark-knight-re-release-set-for-january-23rd/"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279320198734752578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 266px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zw2bfwz2_RY/SUPpv-0hK0I/AAAAAAAAAHc/yKZai9_vcyk/s400/The+Dark+Knight.jpg" border="0" /><span style="color:#3366ff;">Very good news</span></a> for us Gotham City fans. The Dark Knight will be back on the big screen January 23rd:<br /><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc00;">Warner Bros. has announced that they will be re-releasing The Dark Knight nationwide on January 23rd, effectively guaranteeing that the film will become the fourth of all time to take in more than $1 billion in worldwide box office.</span></em><br /><br />Yep, only a month and a half since the DVD debut, one of the greatest movies ever released returns. This Bat signal will not only light up the night-time skies but also energize Oscar voters.<br /><br />Lets hope <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heath_Ledger"><span style="color:#3366ff;">Heath Ledger</span></a> gets his much-deserved Oscar for his portrayal of The Joker. What Ledger did in this movie was remarkable--he not only made The Joker a heinous villian but did so with glimpses humor while maintaining a scary persona.Lt Col Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11333745398142734641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908473832132589483.post-17875457351905258542008-12-07T17:37:00.000-08:002008-12-08T06:02:56.069-08:00'The Unit' News<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zw2bfwz2_RY/STx6t-92RpI/AAAAAAAAAHU/YAZ3kIv2PVw/s1600-h/081206mckean-unit.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277227793786488466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 206px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zw2bfwz2_RY/STx6t-92RpI/AAAAAAAAAHU/YAZ3kIv2PVw/s400/081206mckean-unit.jpg" border="0" /></a>'The Unit' is in reruns the next couple of weeks, but <a href="http://www.tvguide.com/Celebrity-Blogs/Regina-Unit-Casting-1000623.aspx"><span style="color:#3366ff;">TV Guide</span></a> provides a few news updates on the CBS TV series:<br /><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc00;">Sharon of Sharon Bialy/Sherry Thomas casting has been moving in warp drive trying to cast David Mamet's up-coming script that requires 21 guest actors before the first day of shooting. She's used to the challenges of casting for The Unit. Like finding an actor who can speak Pashto, an Afghanistan language, and who can also ride a horse. This was needed in "Shadow Riders," which followed the Unit's quest to deliver a bride to a groom in order to barter a truce between warring Afghanistan tribes...</span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc00;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc00;">Sharon says that shooting The Unit is like shooting an eight-day movie. "The thing I'm proud of is the level of excellence that's sustained on the show. Editing to writing... every department is on a level of excellence sustained over four years. It starts at the top with Shawn and David. There is a level of trust with them. They treat you as artists. You are valued. You want to pay them back by doing a great job. If you bring up an actor they've never heard of before and you vouch for them, they will listen." When they needed someone with authenticity and weight to play the African dictator in the "Force Majeure" episode, Sharon tugged on the vast fishing net of her photographic memory and pulled up Isaach De Bankole. De Bankole, little known in the States, is a French speaking Ivory Coast-born award-winning actor in France.</span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc00;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc00;">Sharon's keenness in finding the right person for the right part often comes back to her lesson's from repertory theater where you can see an actor in a wide variety of roles in the course of seasons, where you can " see his depth and range". This is what led Sharon to suggest Michael McKean for last week's episode, "Misled and Misguided." McKean beautifully played the official from the Department of Defense who believes tech intelligence trumps field logic.</span></em><br /><br />And Michael McKean (pictured above with Dennis Haysbert) is the same guy who played Lenny on TV's <em>Laverne & Shirley</em>.Lt Col Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11333745398142734641noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908473832132589483.post-87941735086806617352008-12-07T13:58:00.000-08:002008-12-07T13:59:50.366-08:00An Early Christmas Present<object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/GI2p1W6z7U0&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/GI2p1W6z7U0&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />PROPS: To <a href="http://www.floppingaces.net/"><span style="color:#3366ff;">Flopping Aces</span></a>Lt Col Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11333745398142734641noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908473832132589483.post-75355493072122022242008-12-07T09:39:00.000-08:002008-12-07T14:04:21.637-08:00TapsPresent, Arms.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zw2bfwz2_RY/STwK0Yl-NLI/AAAAAAAAAHM/glAGS5EPItk/s1600-h/Pearl+Harbor.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277104758442570930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zw2bfwz2_RY/STwK0Yl-NLI/AAAAAAAAAHM/glAGS5EPItk/s400/Pearl+Harbor.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><p>From <a href="http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/timeline/pearl.htm"><span style="color:#3366ff;">The History Place</span></a>:</p><p><strong><em><span style="color:#ffcc00;">Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Sunday, December 7, 1941</span></em></strong></p><p><em><span style="color:#ffcc00;">Above -- The USS Shaw explodes during the Japanese air raid. (Photo credits: U.S. National Archives)</span></em></p><p><em><span style="color:#ffcc00;"><strong>Sunday, December 7</strong> - Washington D.C. - The last part of the Japanese message, stating that diplomatic relations with the U.S. are to be broken off, reaches Washington in the morning and is decoded at approximately 9 a.m. About an hour later, another Japanese message is intercepted. It instructs the Japanese embassy to deliver the main message to the Americans at 1 p.m. The Americans realize this time corresponds with early morning time in Pearl Harbor, which is several hours behind. The U.S. War Department then sends out an alert but uses a commercial telegraph because radio contact with Hawaii is temporarily broken. Delays prevent the alert from arriving at headquarters in Oahu until noontime (Hawaii time) four hours after the attack has already begun.</span></em></p><p><em><span style="color:#ffcc00;">Islands of Hawaii, near Oahu - The Japanese attack force under the command of Admiral Nagumo, consisting of six carriers with 423 planes, is about to attack. At 6 a.m., the first attack wave of 183 Japanese planes takes off from the carriers located 230 miles north of Oahu and heads for the U.S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor.</span></em></p><p>And at 7:02 a.m. we all know what happened next.</p><p>Order, Arms.</p>Lt Col Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11333745398142734641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908473832132589483.post-67538296094742622012008-12-07T08:49:00.000-08:002008-12-07T13:29:19.381-08:00Xerox: "Let's Say Thanks"Another <a href="http://fourfansoffreedom.blogspot.com/2008/11/next-best-way-to-ring-in-2009.html"><span style="color:#3366ff;">American businesss</span></a> is doing a great job of saying "Thanks" to our servicemen and women serving all over the world during this Holiday Season.<br /><div></div><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277093899033029554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 92px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zw2bfwz2_RY/STwA8SI-q7I/AAAAAAAAAG8/4oDarLTYGQA/s400/Xerox.gif" border="0" />At this <a href="http://www.letssaythanks.com/Home1280.html"><span style="color:#3366ff;">Xerox home page</span></a> you can select a postcard (like the one below) to send to our troops, personalize a message in it, and just hit "<em>Send</em>". That's it. Easy. </div><div><br /></div><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277095145899459570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 139px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zw2bfwz2_RY/STwCE3FGg_I/AAAAAAAAAHE/_SCiZk6ZLiI/s400/HomeZoom15Melissa.jpg" border="0" />Now go visit the Xerox web page and send a message of support and thanks to our troops. And thank you to Xerox.<br /><br />PROPS: To JeannieLt Col Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11333745398142734641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908473832132589483.post-69112992308895052932008-12-06T17:39:00.000-08:002008-12-07T09:51:08.595-08:00"Danger close"Not much set-up is required for this video.<br /><br />Two A-10 Warthogs are being called in for air support of friendlies on the ground in Afghanistan. Listen to the calm demeanor of the A-10 lead pilot as he does his job....very professional at all times. Also hear the voice of the commander on the ground calling in the airstrikes so close to his position the A-10 pilot advises "I'm looking at danger close now". The commander on the ground understands and still needs ordinance dropped so badly near his position he gives the A-10 pilot his "commander's initials", acknowledging the strike could be grave to himself and his troops.<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DQg3oBBLKs0&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DQg3oBBLKs0&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Lt Col Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11333745398142734641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908473832132589483.post-65369332786868225202008-12-04T16:56:00.001-08:002008-12-04T17:22:35.377-08:00Update: "The Unit" TV Ratings<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zw2bfwz2_RY/STh8WI05u1I/AAAAAAAAAGs/UKSrKnJp55k/s1600-h/Col+Tom+Ryan.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276103683232873298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zw2bfwz2_RY/STh8WI05u1I/AAAAAAAAAGs/UKSrKnJp55k/s400/Col+Tom+Ryan.jpg" border="0" /></a> For all you fans who enjoy your Sunday night dose of watching "The Unit" on CBS, here's an <a href="http://www.buddytv.com/articles/the-unit/the-unit-underappreciated-24915.aspx"><span style="color:#3366ff;">update</span></a> on our favorite snake eaters:<br /><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc00;">Four seasons later, The Unit is still The Unit. It is not a big hit (although it averaged at #14 on the ratings during its first season), but it isn’t an embarrassing failure either. It’s just there, cruising along, although the change of time slot for the current season put some viewers in a little panic frenzy about its future. It’s doing what it does best, and the expectations aren’t really pitted against them.</span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc00;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc00;">But the show’s got a dedicated following, and the move to its current Sunday night time slot hasn’t made much of a dent on the ratings. It’s in a pretty comfy position—nobody really worries about it, and nobody bothers about it. (But don’t take me wrong: the fans care, of course.) The question is pretty simple: is The Unit underappreciated?<br /></span></em><br />Hell, yes! I'm sure the vast majority of "The Unit" fans are ones with military experience. I also bet there's a 10-15% of viewers of this show that are just patriotic Americans who can accept and understand the real threat to our nation posed by terrorists. But a <em>much</em> larger percentage of Sunday viewers would rather skip the military realism and combat depiction in favor of comedy or sports. <br /><br />"The Unit" is not family hour and finding a better time slot might be difficult. I know the producers of this show are trying to get more female viewers and are using "The Unit" wives in more episodes (but in <em>very</em> unplausible situations I might add). While NYPD Blue and ER prove that realism and hard-core scenes can lead to blockbuster ratings, both those shows focussed more and more on the relationships between the main characters and new cast members. This is where I think "The Unit" needs to move.<br /><br />The article picks up on a few land mines the show still needs to navigate:<br /><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc00;">Is it the realism? Maybe some people who aren’t familiar with the ins and outs of the military are a little hesitant to touch it. Maybe some have been turned away, but it isn’t much of a worry. With people sticking, there’s definitely some people who appreciate the approach—perhaps subdued, but it’s hard to explain—and are sticking to it every night.</span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc00;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc00;">Maybe it’s just the circumstances. There is such a thing as the darling of the press, after all, and you can’t help but think that too much attention is given to some, and too little attention on others. Or they just don’t notice it. (I’ll hint at football again.)</span></em><br /><br />And there's this eye poke deservedly at CBS:<br /><br /><span style="color:#ffcc00;"><em>It’s hard to find updates on the show, and the little information for a certain episode that you’re getting isn’t enough to fill a couple of paragraphs.</em></span><br /><br />Nail, meet head of the hammer.Lt Col Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11333745398142734641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908473832132589483.post-76391571268405002742008-12-04T16:42:00.000-08:002008-12-04T16:50:50.998-08:00ProgressU.S. combat deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan have dropped to the lowest combined level since the United States began fighting the two wars more than five years ago. Good news and shouldn't be much of a surprise to folks who have been following the success of the surge in Iraq and our <a href="http://fourfansoffreedom.blogspot.com/2008/11/airstrike-kills-british-liason-to-al.html"><span style="color:#3366ff;">recent successful airstrikes</span></a> in the Afghanistan region.<br /><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc00;">Eleven American servicemembers died in combat in the conflicts in November. Seven others died in non-hostile incidents. The highest monthly total for combat deaths in both wars was 129 in November 2004.</span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc00;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc00;">Security in Iraq has improved dramatically over the past year, despite a number of high-profile bombing against civilian targets in recent weeks.</span></em><br /><br />And more good news out of Iraq:<br /><br /><span style="color:#ffcc00;"><em>“If you look at the numbers of (Iraq) attacks overall, they are much, much lower than they have ever been since ... 2003,” Lt. Gen. Lloyd Austin, the No. 2 ranking U.S. commander in Iraq, told reporters Wednesday in Baghdad.</em></span><br /><br />You can read the entire article "<a href="http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2008/12/gns_casualties_120408/"><span style="color:#3366ff;">here</span></a>".Lt Col Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11333745398142734641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908473832132589483.post-54438031412386487032008-12-02T17:38:00.000-08:002008-12-02T17:47:59.103-08:00Beware This Holiday SeasonGents, watch out. You've been warned...<br /><br /><a href="http://bewareofthedoghouse.com/video.aspx"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#3366ff;">BEWARE OF THE DOG HOUSE</span><span style="color:#3366ff;"> (Click to watch VIDEO)</span> </a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#3366ff;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#3366ff;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#3366ff;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#3366ff;"></span>Lt Col Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11333745398142734641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908473832132589483.post-82020523315237779192008-11-28T08:18:00.000-08:002008-11-28T08:24:48.865-08:00Picture of the WeekThis week's pic is of several Four Fans of Freedom near Sin City. Click on image for larger version and smell of JP-8.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273743988197516754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 250px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zw2bfwz2_RY/STAaNzzdZdI/AAAAAAAAAGk/TYPDfzxMGU0/s400/Photo+of+the+Week.jpg" border="0" /><span style="color:#ffcc33;">A formation of C-130 Hercules taxis in after a training mission Nov. 19 during a mobility exercise at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. The exercise tests the ability of airlift crews from 12 bases to join together at a specific time and location to drop a brigade-size force anywhere in the world. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Larry E. Reid Jr.)</span><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>Lt Col Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11333745398142734641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908473832132589483.post-49118791700074702682008-11-27T20:33:00.000-08:002008-11-27T21:11:27.114-08:00Q & A with Dennis Haysbert from 'The Unit'<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zw2bfwz2_RY/SS94dMQQ2yI/AAAAAAAAAGc/xJJ_vOORexA/s1600-h/Jonas+Blane.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273566131575118626" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 218px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zw2bfwz2_RY/SS94dMQQ2yI/AAAAAAAAAGc/xJJ_vOORexA/s400/Jonas+Blane.jpg" border="0" /></a>Dennis Haysbert, who plays Sargeant Major Jonas Blane on the TV series "The Unit" answers a few questions <a href="http://www.macon.com/245/story/537864.html"><span style="color:#3366ff;">here</span></a>.<br /><div></div><br /><div>As the article mentions, Haysbert is still more regarded for his portrayal of President David Palmer on "24" than as Snake Doctor on "The Unit". Hopefully, this will change soon as the CBS show continues to do well in the ratings.</div><div></div><div><br />You can catch <strong>"The Unit" Sundays on CBS at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT</strong>.</div><div></div><div><br />For all you fans that can't wait unit Sunday, here's some behind the scenes action involving weapons. Perfect.</div><div></div><div></div><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/AXeWJtzAwPE&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/AXeWJtzAwPE&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Lt Col Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11333745398142734641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908473832132589483.post-77723971210951928692008-11-27T06:35:00.000-08:002008-11-27T07:20:07.237-08:00Happy Thanksgiving!This year I have the pleasure of spending Thanksgiving with the people I'm most thankful to have in my life....my family, including my fiancee and our children. We'll get to spend the day with our friends and neighbors as they've become a big part of our family too!<br /><br />Having spent many Thanksgivings deployed to regions all over the world I can just imagine how our servicemen and women overseas are doing at this holiday. They're waiting in long lines or getting up at crazy hours to place that phone call home. To hear the voice of that someone very special and so very missed. They're wondering how their families are coping on this day and if the traditions they've started for every Thanksgiving are still being done in their absence? Did Mom serve the mash pototoes and stuffing that can't be matched by anyone on the Food Channel?<br /><br />Yet, while our deployed soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines are missing loved ones back at home they have two other important things on their minds. First, the mission. While the chow halls are packed with very hungry and tired professionals, just as abundant as appetites are cell phones, radios, beepers, and weapons. The 24/7 life in a combat zone makes true celebration and relaxation difficult to achieve. Although the exceptional food, decorations, holiday music, and uniforms of all gathered make these deployed Thanksgiving Days different, the routine and the 'get-er-done' mentality remain constant.<br /><br />The second thing I remember most from deployed Thanksgivings is the sense of family I got with those I served with. Despite all the tense work, long days and nights, and spending nearly all waking hours with the same people, I wanted to spend more time with them on Thanksgiving. If I couldn't have my family with me on this special ocassion, then I wanted to be with these fine men and women. The bond between us, yes, a Band of Brothers, always strengthened during Thanksgiving and Christmas. Everyone knew what each other was missing and had thoughts of being at home. That empathy was understood and fostered that family feeling.<br /><br />So today while I'm glad to be at home with friends and family I'm thankful to the men and women in uniform who are currently deployed (and their families!!) for the sacrifice they're making for us. They're the ones who'll be on my mind on this day. Thank you!<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273356894633061698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 251px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_zw2bfwz2_RY/SS66J_517UI/AAAAAAAAAGU/L2Xr45GSnbU/s400/112708_feedtroopgraphic_400.jpg" border="0" />Lt Col Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11333745398142734641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908473832132589483.post-47735877242915331222008-11-26T16:49:00.000-08:002008-11-26T19:01:26.931-08:00'The next best way' to Ring in 2009<span style="color:#3366ff;"></span><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zw2bfwz2_RY/SS3vjd_KIRI/AAAAAAAAAGM/q-PuHWD0Zx8/s1600-h/title_military.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273134131344711954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 68px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zw2bfwz2_RY/SS3vjd_KIRI/AAAAAAAAAGM/q-PuHWD0Zx8/s400/title_military.gif" border="0" /></a><br />From the <a href="http://www.makersmarkgiftshop.com/line_troops.htm"><span style="color:#3366ff;">Maker's Mark</span></a> webpage:<br /><br /><div><span style="color:#ffcc33;">Each year, our offices receive letters and emails from service men and women overseas, asking us to send them a few of our Maker's Mark cigars. Since troops serving in the Middle East are not allowed to consume alcohol, the requests come in as "the next best way" to ring in and toast the New Year.For the requests that we receive, we put together a couple of boxes of cigars to let our soldiers know how much we appreciate them and what they do. This year, we'd like to invite you to help us say thanks to our friends and family members overseas by sending a Maker's Mark cigar to a serviceperson. Send a cigar to your own loved one, or make a donation to someone who could use a little cheer as they spend their holidays away from home. </span></div><div></div><div></div><div><span style="color:#ffcc33;">Buy Cigars for a Soldier You Know </span></div><div></div><div><span style="color:#ffcc33;">Free Shipping on 3-Packs, Boxes of 10 and Boxes of 25 Cigars. </span><a href="http://www.makersmarkgiftshop.com/m_troops.htm"><span style="color:#3366ff;">Click for info</span></a><span style="color:#ffcc33;">.</span><br /><br /></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273133146929603474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 195px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zw2bfwz2_RY/SS3uqKwTo5I/AAAAAAAAAGE/3OSimjMDegg/s400/front_troops.jpg" border="0" /></div><br /><p>Go visit this<em> great</em> company. And let a service member overseas ring in the New Year in style.</p><p>I've had the opportunity to try the Maker's Mark cigars and even a few glasses of their bourbon in Louisville this past February. <em>Outstanding</em>! It's always special when companies go out of their way to acknowledge our service and our families sacrifice and I make a point to give them my repeated business.</p><p>Thank you Maker's Mark!</p><p>PROPS: To <a href="http://mylifeasamilitaryspouse.blogspot.com/"><span style="color:#3366ff;">My Life As A Military Spouse</span></a></p>Lt Col Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11333745398142734641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908473832132589483.post-46918914527383225302008-11-26T08:05:00.001-08:002008-11-26T12:37:34.380-08:00Marlboro ManI was traveling through the capital city of this Middle Eastern country with my interpreter "David". We were on our way to a downtown business building for discussions on Coalition communications. As the senior American representative in the meeting, I would be relaying to our host nation the needs of our U.S. Ambassador and necessity of these capabilities for military success. These meetings were often hastily arranged after a volley of phone calls from my office and the U.S. Embassy. Bottom line was that we couldn't do our mission without our host nation agreeing to provide us help, and that assistance was critical in helping another nearby country...Iraq.<br /><br />Although I always took the appropriate security precautions of dressing in civilian attire and taking different routes off-base to navigate the precarious driving conditions that foreign cities present to American servicemen, I never felt completely safe and always used that apprehension to my advantage. "David" would do all the driving. This allowed me to continuously survey the landscape for potential choke points and threats. "David" is Iraqi and although his main job was to translate for me, I also preferred to use his knowledge of customs and courtesies to the max extent possible. We were in a neighboring country to Iraq, but "David" blended right in to the local population and having him drive would present us with the best possible face on our Land Rover.<br /><br />Our meeting was to take place at 10:30 a.m. It was only 9:30 a.m. but I wanted to give ourselves some extra time to circumvent the morning traffic jams and always present fender-benders and ensuring arguments between drivers while everyone else honked at the impasse.<br /><br />Three blocks from our meeting location I discussed with "David" our parking options. He said there would be a special, gated parking lot with a very few number of spots located at the very base of the high-rise building. "David" said that parking lot would be fully guarded and is reserved for only the high-rollers of the local government and business leaders. I told him that we needed to park inside that lot at all cost. I wanted to make our vehicle harder to get to and if someone really wanted to take out our Land Rover, that terrorist would also take out the vehicles of the prominent local leadership.<br /><br />As we approached the guard to the secure parking lot, "David" and I knew we had our hands full. The guard immediately started waving his hand and sub-machine gun when we closed within 5 car lengths of his position. "David" stopped our Land Rover and began to talk very calmly with this guard. The guard replied to our request to park in the lot also in a calm manner. However, this guard wasn't about to let us in. No way. No how.<br /><br />I whispered to "David" that I would call our host nation partners and insist on parking in this lot. Crap, no answer. Dialed our Air Attache at the U.S. Embassy....voicemail!! After leaving a quick message I tactically hung up but left the phone near my ear and kept talking to no one. But I constantly made eye contact with the guard. I wanted him to know I was still working this issue and pressure would ensue upon him. After about 2 minutes I hung up and quietly told "David" we had no top cover. "David" then blew a gasket and began arguing with the guard that this was getting raised to the Interior department within the government. He demanded to speak with his supervisor. I asked "David" about giving the guard some money and he said that wouldn't work in this situation. How about cigarettes? Hmmm. Maybe...<br /><br />Just as the guard caught sight of the 3/4 full carton of cigarettes that emerged from beneath "David's" seat, he ended his conversation with his supervisor on the walkie talkie. With one hand reaching out to take the carton of cigarettes, the guard's other hand pushed the button raising the gate to the secure parking lot. We were in.Lt Col Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11333745398142734641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908473832132589483.post-69802739484176784692008-11-23T08:40:00.000-08:002008-11-23T08:52:07.299-08:00French Soldier on America and Our TroopsIt's got truth, humor, and even a reference to 'Rambo'. Does it get any better than that? Nope.<br /><br />From <a href="http://serendipity.ruwenzori.net/index.php/2008/09/21/american-troops-in-afghanistan-through-the-eyes-of-a-french-omlt-infantryman"><span style="color:#3366ff;">Serendipitous Altruism</span></a>, comes this <strong>remarkable</strong> perspective on our U.S. troops from a French soldier:<br /><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc33;">“We have shared our daily life with two US units for quite a while - they are the first and fourth companies of a prestigious infantry battalion whose name I will withhold for the sake of military secrecy. To the common man it is a unit just like any other. But we live with them and got to know them, and we henceforth know that we have the honor to live with one of the most renowned units of the US Army - one that the movies brought to the public as series showing “ordinary soldiers thrust into extraordinary events”. Who are they, those soldiers from abroad, how is their daily life, and what support do they bring to the men of our OMLT every day ? Few of them belong to the Easy Company, the one the TV series focuses on. This one nowadays is named Echo Company, and it has become the support company.<br /></span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc33;">They have a terribly strong American accent - from our point of view the language they speak is not even English. How many times did I have to write down what I wanted to say rather than waste precious minutes trying various pronunciations of a seemingly common word? Whatever state they are from, no two accents are alike and they even admit that in some crisis situations they have difficulties understanding each other.<br /></span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc33;">Heavily built, fed at the earliest age with Gatorade, proteins and creatine - they are all heads and shoulders taller than us and their muscles remind us of Rambo. Our frames are amusingly skinny to them - we are wimps, even the strongest of us - and because of that they often mistake us for Afghans.<br /></span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc33;">Here we discover America as it is often depicted : their values are taken to their paroxysm, often amplified by promiscuity lack of privacy and the loneliness of this outpost in the middle of that Afghan valley. Honor, motherland - everything here reminds of that : the American flag floating in the wind above the outpost, just like the one on the post parcels. Even if recruits often originate from the hearth of American cities and gang territory, no one here has any goal other than to hold high and proud the star spangled banner. Each man knows he can count on the support of a whole people who provides them through the mail all that an American could miss in such a remote front-line location : books, chewing gums, razorblades, Gatorade, toothpaste etc. in such way that every man is aware of how much the American people backs him in his difficult mission. And that is a first shock to our preconceptions : the American soldier is no individualist. The team, the group, the combat team are the focus of all his attention.<br /></span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc33;">And they are impressive warriors ! We have not come across bad ones, as strange at it may seem to you when you know how critical French people can be. Even if some of them are a bit on the heavy side, all of them provide us everyday with lessons in infantry know-how. Beyond the wearing of a combat kit that never seem to discomfort them (helmet strap, helmet, combat goggles, rifles etc.) the long hours of watch at the outpost never seem to annoy them in the slightest. On the one square meter wooden tower above the perimeter wall they stand the five consecutive hours in full battle rattle and night vision goggles on top, their sight unmoving in the directions of likely danger. No distractions, no pauses, they are like statues nights and days. At night, all movements are performed in the dark - only a handful of subdued red lights indicate the occasional presence of a soldier on the move. Same with the vehicles whose lights are covered - everything happens in pitch dark even filling the fuel tanks with the Japy pump.<br /></span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc33;">And combat ? If you have seen Rambo you have seen it all - always coming to the rescue when one of our teams gets in trouble, and always in the shortest delay. That is one of their tricks : they switch from T-shirt and sandals to combat ready in three minutes. Arriving in contact with the ennemy, the way they fight is simple and disconcerting : they just charge ! They disembark and assault in stride, they bomb first and ask questions later - which cuts any pussyfooting short.<br /></span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc33;">We seldom hear any harsh word, and from 5 AM onwards the camp chores are performed in beautiful order and always with excellent spirit. A passing American helicopter stops near a stranded vehicle just to check that everything is alright; an American combat team will rush to support ours before even knowing how dangerous the mission is - from what we have been given to witness, the American soldier is a beautiful and worthy heir to those who liberated France and Europe.<br /></span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc33;">To those who bestow us with the honor of sharing their combat outposts and who everyday give proof of their military excellence, to those who pay the daily tribute of America’s army’s deployment on Afghan soil, to those we owned this article, ourselves hoping that we will always remain worthy of them and to always continue hearing them say that we are all the same band of brothers”.</span></em><br /><br />Band of Brothers indeed. A great read and pass along to your friends.<br /><br />PROPS: To <a href="http://tigerhawk.blogspot.com/"><span style="color:#3366ff;">TigerHawk</span></a>Lt Col Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11333745398142734641noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908473832132589483.post-38911198415178573672008-11-23T08:17:00.001-08:002008-11-23T08:37:24.218-08:00'24' Returns: Jack Bauer Back for 'Redemption'One of my favorite TV shows returns tonight for its 7th season.<br /><div></div><br /><div>The first two hours of '24' is an action-packed, thriller that will have loyal Jack Bauer fans and even new Fox viewers thinking this drama is better than most movies found in theaters for $9.</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271892308105386450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zw2bfwz2_RY/SSmGH168WdI/AAAAAAAAAF8/NPeS7UYav1E/s400/Bauer.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div></div><div>This fast paced episode called 'Redemption' finds Jack in the fictional African country of Sangala, living on the QT, hoping for some rest, minus the annoying Chloe. Helping school children and making new friends without Glocks and ear piece comms, Jack thinks things are just dandy. However, throw in a crazy rebel leader attempting to start your standard 3rd World civil war, and Bauer's vacation is cut short.</div><div></div><div></div><div> </div><div> </div><div>At the same time, in the Washington D.C. Beltway, a power struggle ensues between a new, female President and that sly, bastard, Powers Booth (Ok, his character's name is Noah Daniels...but truth be told, the guy's REAL name is 'Powers', so anything else is inadequate and plain wrong). </div><div></div><div></div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Series starts in January with standard issue cliffhangers and testosterone.</div><div></div><div></div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Tick...tick...tick.</div>Lt Col Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11333745398142734641noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908473832132589483.post-26108158670759905062008-11-23T07:34:00.000-08:002008-11-23T07:53:38.780-08:00Airstrike Kills British Liason to al QaedaA <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/23/world/asia/23rauf.html?_r=1&hp"><span style="color:#3366ff;">British militant dirt bag</span></a> is no longer plotting to blow up American trans-Atlantic airliners.<br /><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271878129134956562" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 190px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 270px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zw2bfwz2_RY/SSl5OhI9cBI/AAAAAAAAAF0/uWOgniImsZQ/s400/23rauf190.jpg" border="0" /><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc33;">The militant, Rashid Rauf, was among the five people killed in the attack by a remotely piloted aircraft in North Waziristan, close to the Afghan border, the officials said. He is perhaps the best-known of the figures killed in an American airstrike campaign there that has intensified since August and has caused increased strains between the United States and Pakistan</span></em><span style="color:#ffcc33;">.<br /></span><br /><em>Intensified</em>? That's a <strong>major</strong> understatement.</p><p><em><span style="color:#ffcc33;">The missile strike in North Waziristan on Saturday was the third by the Americans in almost three days. Since August, there have been more than two dozen strikes by remotely piloted aircraft, including one last week that hit a settled area in the North-West Frontier Province outside the tribal region.</span></em></p><p>A few of our most recent strikes by the "<em>remotely piloted aircraft</em>":</p><p><a href="http://fourfansoffreedom.blogspot.com/2008/11/al-qaedas-beheading-emir-captured-in.html"><span style="color:#3366ff;">Al Qaeda's Beheading 'Emir' Captured</span> </a></p><p><a href="http://fourfansoffreedom.blogspot.com/2008/11/al-qaeda-leader-planning-us-attacks.html"><span style="color:#3366ff;">Al Qaeda's #4 Reaches Room Temp</span></a></p><p><a href="http://fourfansoffreedom.blogspot.com/2008/11/justice-finds-evil.html"><span style="color:#3366ff;">Senior al Qaeda leader killed in airstrike</span></a></p><p><span style="color:#3366ff;"><span style="color:#000000;">And "<em>increased strains</em>" between us and Pakistan? Yeah sure. Don't bet on it. Privately, I bet Pakistani leadership are bumping knuckles and high fiving each other. Perfect.</span></span></p>Lt Col Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11333745398142734641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908473832132589483.post-5208143230188216222008-11-22T13:41:00.000-08:002008-11-22T13:43:51.382-08:00Video of the WeekThis video has been around for some time, but it's still one of my all-time favorites.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/RM595QX5iV4&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/RM595QX5iV4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Lt Col Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11333745398142734641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908473832132589483.post-63873914767328110172008-11-22T12:53:00.001-08:002008-11-22T13:03:48.770-08:00The 'Must Read' of the WeekThis week's 'Must Read' comes courtesy of <a href="http://www.legion.org/onlineupdate/1775/touching-face-grace"><span style="color:#3366ff;">The American Legion</span></a>. It's an essay written by Mitchell L. Hubbard of Winchester, Va., about his son’s experiences while deployed to Iraq:<br /><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc33;">“Whatever your political take on the war in Iraq, nothing can alter it more than having a loved one in the midst of it. Nor is anyone’s current perspective balanced until they hear at least some things from a soldier’s point of view. </span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc33;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc33;">“My wife and I learned these truths when our son, a 2004 Handley graduate, decided to join the Army in 2006. His reasoning was simple: he wasn’t comfortable knowing that thousands of others his age were sacrificing their own freedoms to protect his. When he signed up to join those thousands, it changed our perspective as well. </span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc33;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc33;">“Up to that point, it had always been other people’s sons and daughters doing the fighting. Now it would be our own child. Naturally, no one wants their child to volunteer to go in harm’s way for freedom’s sake. It was something of a conviction, though, when my wife and I had to ask ourselves why it shouldn’t be our own son in the Middle East, why we should be spared the rituals of anxiety, prayer, hope and waiting that tens of thousands of other families over here have already endured. </span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc33;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc33;">“In early June, we flew to Fort Hood, Texas, to see our son deploy for a 15-month tour in Iraq. Again, one’s perspective is limited until one attends a deploying ceremony for a unit of soldiers. Spouses, children, parents, siblings and friends, all crowding a gym, all clinging closely to their treasures in uniform, accompanied by flags, prayers, cheers and tears. Our son had joined a ‘band of brothers.’ My wife and I had joined the ‘band of others’ who would be waiting at home. Both those going, and those left behind, carry the war on terror in a personal way. </span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc33;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc33;">“Still, those of us left behind need to see something of what our soldiers see, and not only what is offered us in the news. To that end, here is one story our son, Luke, shared with us by phone that must be shared with anyone who claims an interest in what our soldiers are doing in the Middle East. </span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc33;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc33;">“Stationed outside a city on the Tigris River, Luke had accompanied his colonel into town as part of a security team, while the colonel spoke with a local sheik. While standing guard, Luke noticed a woman approaching from behind and cautiously turned in her direction, his rifle at the ready. </span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc33;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc33;">“An interpreter told our son it was OK – the woman just wanted to touch a soldier. Still uneasy, Luke stood still while the woman reached out her hand and touched his face, tears in her eyes. </span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc33;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc33;">“Looking to the interpreter for meaning, our son was told that the woman simply ‘wanted to touch the face of grace.’ It seems this trembling woman, like most of the people in her town, looked upon our soldiers as angels of grace, sent by God to protect her from the violence and oppression her people had come to know up to then. Learning this, our son squeezed and kissed the woman’s hand, and she left, weeping. </span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc33;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc33;">“The ‘face of grace.’ How many of us, safe at home debating the politics of the war on terror, have ever seen our soldiers in such a light? How many of us have even read such an uplifting newspaper account of our soldiers? </span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc33;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc33;">“To be sure, our soldiers are not virtuous simply by being soldiers. At home in their ‘civvies’ they are as un-angelic as the rest of us. Yet when they voluntarily get into ‘full battle rattle’ (as they call their battle gear) in a hot and hostile land, their job is both protective and sacrificial – as angelic a purpose as humans can take on. </span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc33;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc33;">“People like this woman, having suffered years of oppression and fear, have eyes and a heart to see this, and the desire to “‘touch the face of grace.’ Do we have the ability to see our soldiers in the same way? And not merely our soldiers: Can we see the ‘face of grace’ in the police who protect us in every town, day and night? Or in the fire and rescue teams who are ‘soldiers’ in their own right? </span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc33;"></span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#ffcc33;">“My wife and I obviously pray that our son and his ‘band of brothers’ will come safely home to their personal ‘band of others.’ After listening to our son’s experience, though, we have added the prayer that Americans in every community will be given the eyes and heart to see the ‘Face of Grace’ in all who protect our lives and freedoms – especially in soldiers like our son.”</span></em><br /><br />PROPS: To <a href="http://www.soldiersperspective.us/"><span style="color:#3366ff;">A Soldier's Perspective</span></a>Lt Col Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11333745398142734641noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908473832132589483.post-66762263746545233372008-11-21T06:26:00.000-08:002008-11-21T06:38:14.298-08:00Miss Georgia....Air Force ROTC Cadet<a href="http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2008/11/airforce_rotc_missgeorgia_112008/"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271117825037850674" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zw2bfwz2_RY/SSbFu_qcWDI/AAAAAAAAAFk/zDhosVhmmcw/s400/112008af_missgeorgia.jpg" border="0" /><span style="color:#3366ff;">Once again</span></a> the Air Force will have one of its finest at the Miss America contest.<br /><div></div><br /><div><em><span style="color:#ffcc33;">Kimberly Gittings, a sophomore ROTC cadet at the University of Georgia, was crowned Miss Georgia USA on Nov. 8; a little more than 24 hours later, she was cranking out sit-ups at O-dark-30 for her PFA.<br /></span></em></div><br /><div><em><span style="color:#ffcc33;">Gittings admits that balancing her school work, pageant competitions and ROTC commitments is “a struggle.” But the pageant circuit has more in common with military service than you might think, she said.<br /></span></em></div><br /><div><em><span style="color:#ffcc33;">There’s a lot more tedious paperwork involved than most people realize, for one thing. Just like the military, attention to detail is paramount. And in both cases, she said, “you’re representing an organization,” and are expected to behave accordingly.<br /></span></em></div><br /><div><em><span style="color:#ffcc33;">Gittings will have to push back her field training a year, said her ROTC commander, Lt. Col. David Baylor. But unless she wins the Miss USA pageant this spring in Las Vegas — a title she would “give the entire left half of my body” to achieve — she plans to stick with the Air Force.</span></em></div><br /><div>Good for her and the Air Force.</div><br /><div>Memba <a href="http://www.kellygeorge.info/"><span style="color:#3366ff;">her</span></a>?</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5271119059474876194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 227px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 340px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_zw2bfwz2_RY/SSbG22TKhyI/AAAAAAAAAFs/LSd1xhKd4zw/s400/061028-F-0000G-111.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div></div>Lt Col Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11333745398142734641noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3908473832132589483.post-14629435566077260242008-11-19T02:59:00.000-08:002008-11-19T03:03:23.455-08:00A-10 Warthog vs. Taliban BicycleYou never want it to be a fair fight. Ever.<br /><br />Keep on runnin'<br /><br /><object width="450" height="370"><param name="movie" value="http://www.liveleak.com/e/092_1226978719"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.liveleak.com/e/092_1226978719" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="450" height="370"></embed></object>Lt Col Patrickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11333745398142734641noreply@blogger.com2