Military Dot Com Update.
From time to time we post a 'Military.com Update'. Military.com is a truebipartisan, for the troops, pull no punches site. If anyone knows of anothersite similar to this (military based) please let us know in the commentssection. It's a long one, but worthy just the same. Anyway, without further adieu.
NOTE: To eliminate any "link frustrations", the TITLEof the article and the "Read on..." linksdirect you to the same page.
- - FORT BELVOIR, Va. - Soldiers are volunteering dramatic personal accounts of lives saved and injuries avoided thanks to the Army's body armor. Their first-hand accounts of what happens demonstrate confidence in what the Army is doing to protect them. Interceptor Body Armor is a modular system that features an outer tactical vest with hard protective plates. Spc. Gregory T. Miller, 101st Airborne Division, told Congress at a hearing last month that this body armor saved his life while he was on patrol in Kirkuk in preparation for Iraqi elections in December 2005. He was hit in the back by a sniper with what was supposed to be an armor-piercing round. Spc. Miller, who wound up with a bruised back, said he didn't even realize he'd been hit at first. ...
My 2 Cents: I don't doubt Interceptor is "very good" bodyarmor, and anyone wearing it while hit and surviving would think it was the bestthing since sliced bread...similar to having a round hitting that"bible" in your front breast pocket. However, I would say that notcontinually looking into better ways to protect our soldiers, or dismissingbetter equipment because of "politics" is criminal. We have stayed onthis issue for some time. Catch up here...'TheBody Armor Issue' - Round 2 (No pun intended)
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- - The Pentagon recently sent Congress a $1.7 billion reprogramming request. These are areas where the services take fiscal 2007 money away from some programs that can afford to be delayed, canceled or restructured and transfer those dollars to help boost other programs that can be sped up or more robustly fielded. An ..
My 2 Cents: I'm sure there are tons of inconsistencies here, but onethat sticks out as politically motivated is "$155million in Reserve mobilizations due to reduction in needed forces by about15,000 troops.". Call me crazy, but the militaryis missing recruitment goals all over the place. Many of our blue and whitecollar workers...I mean National Guardsman and Reservists are serving in Iraqwhich could prove to be disastrous if we have any national emergencies. Anyway,go through the list and give us your take.
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- - Nearly 60 percent of readers who participated in a recent Military.com poll said the United States should withdraw its troops from Iraq now or by the end of 2008. More than 40 percent of the respondents agreed the pullout should begin immediately because "we're wasting lives and resources there." Read on with great explanation of poll ...Poll results ...
My 2 Cents: These numbers are interesting mainly because it ispro-military site. If Bill O'Reilly gets a whiff of this poll he will blame iton or the evil "far leftwing" antics of NBC.
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- - WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Army Reserve Sgt. Erik Botta has been sent to Iraq three times and to Afghanistan once. He thinks that's enough. Botta wants a court to block the military's plan to deploy him for a fifth time Sunday, most likely to Iraq. He isn't against the war - but he thinks he can serve his country better now by working for a defense contractor and pursuing his education. Botta enlisted in the Army Reserves in October 2000. After the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, he requested transfer to active duty, which was granted the next month, according to the petition. ...
My 2 Cents: It is issues like this that will/are breeding resentmenteven from the pro-war conservative base (soldiers included). I am sure that Erikdidn't plan on a military career, but at 26 years old he is closing in on 8years in.
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- - WASHINGTON - President Bush named Gen. William E. "Kip" Ward yesterday to help stand up U.S. Africa Command as its first commander. Ward has served as deputy commander of U.S. European Command in Stuttgart, Germany, since May 2006. In that role, he has been responsible for the day-to-day activities for U.S. forces operating across 92 countries in Europe, Africa, Russia, parts of Asia and the Middle East, the Mediterranean and most of the Atlantic Ocean. "Africa Command will enhance our efforts to bring peace and security to the people of Africa and promote our common goals of development, health, education, democracy and economic growth in Africa," he said.
My 2 Cents: Most people are aware of the atrocities that are occurringin Africa, and in my opinion THAT is where we should be. Not in a war, but in a"true humanitarian" role. However, who the hell wants to hear aboutcombat operations of any kind after Iraq? That my friends is the problem .AfterBush's quagmire in Iraq, most of the people that once would have been forhelping out the victims in Africa, now don't want to hear anything aboutdeploying troops anywhere.
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- - Recovering troops at the U.S. military hospital in Landstuhl, Germany need your help. During a recent visit there, American Legion National Commander Paul A. Morin and American Legion Auxiliary President JoAnn Cronin found these war heroes are in need of comfort items and essentials that could improve their quality of life. "Don’t let the well-deserved media attention given to Walter Reed Army Medical Center detract from the needs of the heroes at Landstuhl."
My 2 Cents: Helping isn't restricted to donations, just spreading theword carries a lot of weight.
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- - SAN FRANCISCO - Two influential lawmakers investigating how and when the Bush administration learned the circumstances of Pat Tillman's friendly-fire death and how those details were disclosed accused the White House and Pentagon on Friday of withholding key documents and renewed their demand for the material. The White House and Defense Department have turned over nearly 10,000 pages of papers - mostly press clippings - but the White House cited "executive branch confidentiality interests" in refusing to provide other documents. ...
My 2 Cents: I understand the need for certain information to be keptsecret, but the Bush admin. seems to think anything they deem"sensitive" should remain secret, and that is partially why his pollnumbers are where they're out now.
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And NOW, for the Grand Finale of DISGUST!
- - WASHINGTON — The Senate on Wednesday rejected a proposal to guarantee all troops a month home for every month they are deployed into a combat zone. The Senate fell four votes short of the 60 needed to end debate on the topic, preventing Democratic leaders in the chamber from bringing the issue up for a full vote and effectively forcing them to drop it. Earlier in the day, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., called the proposal “critical for the strength of our military and the well-being of our troops†and chastised Republicans for blocking the amendment. The one-for-one proposal was introduced last week by Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., as a way to ease the burden of deployments on troops and their families. Proponents said the measure would help preserve troop morale and health, while opponents said it unfairly restricted military planners. ...
My 2 Cents: I'll leave this one up to you to fill in the blanks.
For all of the readers at Military.com who wear Body Armor or who have loved one who wear it you should check out the “Flak Vest Hanger™†This device was invented by a retired law enforcement officer who designed a very durable and compact method for drying and maintaining all types of body armor. The website is http://www.flakvesthangers.com
Posted by: | 2007.07.18 at 04:15 PM