War Games

The kind of mindset (via Drudge) I never want to see from anyone even remotely tied to our nation’s military:

“Imagine Tea Party extremists seizing control of a South Carolina town and the Army being sent in to crush the rebellion. This farcical vision is now part of the discussion in professional military circles.”

Yeah, it’s just a retired Colonel and some no-good civilian “Civil War expert,” but the article was published in what was termed a “respected” military journal.

Also, there was a stir twenty years ago about a military coup article, but at least it contained a disclaimer that the scenario was “purely a literary device intended to dramatize my concern over certain contemporary developments affecting the armed forces, and is emphatically not a prediction.”

No disclaimer this time.

People who like to play expert with respect to things about which they really have no expertise nor understanding whatsoever . . . well.  Hopefully their foolish words are meaningless.

I, for one, know no military members willing to engage in this type of operation.

Cross-posted at No One Of Any Import.

 

Former Seal Team Six Commander Starts New PAC: Special Operations for America

Montana State Senator and former Commander of Seal Team Six, Ryan Zinke, has had it with Obama spiking the Osama football and gutting the military and has formed a new Political Action Committee dedicated to defeating Obama and his cronies this November.

Zinke and Major General Paul Vallely have joined forces to form Special Operations for America .

Here’s their Mission Statement:

■Special Operations for America (SOFA) is committed to a strong and independent military that is capable of defending America’s freedoms and interests.
■SOFA is dedicated to restoring strong leadership to the Office of the Commander-in-Chief and those senior officials appointed by the President.
■SOFA believes in American exceptionalism along with leadership that does not minimize American greatness or politicize military achievements for personal gain.
■SOFA pledges to accurately address issues that affect our military and those core threats to National Security.
■SOFA will identify and provide accurate information on policies that harm or discredit our national security and those who bravely protect us.

Bush 43 would never have defeated John Kerry without the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth in 2004, who exposed Kerry as a fraud.

It’s time to send in the Special Forces in 2012! OooRah!!!!

 

American Hero Project

The American Hero Project was founded in 2012 starting with a Facebook page as a way to remember the fallen. There have been many memes on Facebook associated with the decline the media gives to air stories of fallen soldiers and that is a valid point, therefore, they are seeking to rectify the lack of attention that fallen soldiers receive. They will honor their sacrifices in a dignified manner and give their life a story. The American Hero Project website and the Facebook group is dedicated to the fallen heroes of the Afghanistan & Iraq wars.

The American Hero Project was founded by Dustin DeMoss (an Air Force veteran) and Clint Davis (a Navy veteran). They both envision American Hero Project becoming a non-profit dedicated to remembering fallen heroes from all wars and promoting veteran’s issues at the same time.

 

Memorial Day Thoughts

I know that every one of you readers are patriots who love this nation and understand the sacrifices that help make it great.

Here at the No One house, we remember all the fallen on Memorial Day.  Yet, there is one we remember and miss every day.  I keep personal stuff under wraps most of the time, but Robert was an extraordinary fellow and worth sharing.  We were so blessed to have him in our lives for a time.

The Marine Corps was his true calling; above all else he wanted to serve his country.  A few years before 9/11 (back when we were young and gonna live forever), he introduced both my husband:

Robert giving Mr. No One his first salute

And me to military life:

“Welcome to the Navy, Mrs. No One.”

The military life has been a good one.  I just wish Robert were still part of it.  Semper Fi, buddy.

I hope everyone has a blessed day, and maybe some comfort from sorrow, should you need it.

cross-posted at No One Of Any Import

 

In Honor of those who gave all

h/t LtThompsonCS, Radney Foster, Darden Smith

 

 

Update on Richmond Parade for the Troops Fundraiser

The Parade date and location haven’t changed, but the date and location of the fundraiser have.

Previously it was mistakenly reported that the fundraiser was scheduled for tomorrow night.  There was some missed communication there.

It is now scheduled for next Tuesday night, May 15th at O’Tooles, starting at 6:30.  O’Tooles is in south Richmond, down the Boulevard and across the James River.

4800 Forest Hill Avenue.

Be there, if you can.  It should be a good time.

Sorry for the previous misinformation.

 

Richmond, VA Welcome Home and Thank You, Heroes Parade

I’m very pleased to share information from Concrete Bob from United Conservatives of Virginia about the Welcome Home and Thank You Parade, Saturday May 19th, Armed Forces Day at 10am.

Attn: Virginians, Marylanders, North Carolinians…. Make your calendar entry now.

The route is from the Virginia Historical Society (Boulevard at Kensington) down to the Carillon.

Bob is volunteering as Site Coordinator for the Veterans Resource Center and Job Fair. If any local businesses would like to recruit newly arriving vets or offer resources for organizations that provide  veteran support services, please go over to United Conservatives of Virginia to work with Bob on this.

Details for the parade are at the UCV website and more details about the Parade to Thank our Vets are here and here.

Also, events like this require plenty of money to cover all of the many costs that are incurred. Insurance, tents, extra police and EMTs…trust me, the costs add up in a hurry.  Unless you’ve organized an event you have no idea.

There is a fundraiser at Mulligan’s Tuesday May 8th starting at 5:30pm, or 1730 if you prefer. Mulligan’s is at 1323 W. Main St., Richmond, VA.  I’ll be there, for sure.

Or go directly to AmericaForVets to give.

Here’s the St. Louis Welcome and Thanks Parade from January.  Let’s make Virginia’s just as big, if not bigger.  

 

Obama Needs to Come Clean on what he meant when speaking to Russia’s Medvedev

Republican presidential candidates need to jump all over Obama’s statement to outgoing President Medvedev when discussing missile defense that he needs more space until after his re-election after which he will have more flexibility.

“This is my last election … After my election I have more flexibility,”

I understand that to mean not only ‘more flexibility’, but less accountability.

I shudder to think what this man would do to this country if he wins a second term.

 

Under reported: China’s 3,000 mile network of secret tunnels

The Chinese have called it their “Underground Great Wall” — a vast network of tunnels designed to hide their country’s increasingly sophisticated missile and nuclear arsenal.

This breaking news was recently discovered after great volume of research by the CIA Georgetown University students. 

3,000 miles is the distance between Boston and San Francisco, to give some perspective of the sheer magnitude of this tunnel system. 

Long time Pentagon strategist, Phillip Karger, now a professor at Georgetown University, worked with students to compile the research and database.

In 2008, Karber was volunteering on a committee for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, a Pentagon agency charged with countering weapons of mass destruction. 

After a devastating earthquake struck Sichuan province, the chairman of Karber’s committee noticed Chinese news accounts reporting that thousands of radiation technicians were rushing to the region. Then came pictures of strangely collapsed hills and speculation that the caved-in tunnels in the area had held nuclear weapons.

Find out what’s going on, the chairman asked Karber, who began looking for analysts again — this time among his students at Georgetown.

Although it has long been believed that China had no more than 400 nuclear weapons, there is no treaty between the U.S. and China and no verification process like we have with Russia.  There is no way of knowing just what China has in its arsenal, but this tunnel complex, along with the missile trains disguised as passenger trains reveals a great amount of stealthy activity going on.

Read the whole story and decide for yourself.

So, while Obama and the Democrats are systematically disarming and dismantling our military, China appears to be undertaking a massive military build up.  Add the tunnel network to the secret submarine base story from a few years back and there is reason to be concerned.

Images from UK Telegraph.

 

 

 

Honoring the Veterans

On November 11, 2011, just as on every Veterans Day, there will be millions of heartfelt expressions of thanks to those who have served. For my part, I would like to express some personal gratitude to those in my life who have served this great Nation of ours.

To my uncles Ernest and Curt (Navy retired and deceased), Ted and Leon (Army). To my cousin Roger (USMC), who I still remember walking to the bus station when he was drafted to go to Vietnam. Thankfully we were one of the fortunate families – he came home. To my cousin Victor, who was supposed to be on a plane full of marines that crashed on its way to Japan in the 1950’s. Everyone on board was killed. He was late and had missed the flight. To my cousin Alvin, who after a tough start, found his direction in life and retired as an Air Force Officer.

To my classmates and friends, Joey and Brad, and to my friend and former co-worker Mike, all Colonels in the USMC. Oohrah and Semper Fi! To my classmate, friend, and boss, Kirk (Air Force Ret), to my co-workers Gary (Vietnam vet and Army Ret), Bob (Coast Guard Ret), Tom and Mike (Army Ret). Officers all and some of the finest men a girl could be lucky enough to know and work with.

To my friends Bob and Carter who served our country and continue to serve our Veterans. God bless you two; you are amazing. To my friend “Holden” who made that rare leap from enlisted to commissioned officer – no surprise to any of us; that talent was hard to miss.  (Just stop when you get to Two-Star, after that, it’s all political.)

To the hundreds of Veterans that I get to work with every single day, including my friends GIJoeyD, one of the coolest Special Forces guy ever, and Carl, who dared to teach me how to shoot defensively.  

And lastly (and because I don’t want to wait until Memorial Day), in memoriam to Navy LCDR Dennis Stanley Pike (Fixed-Wing Pilot) who went missing during a flight on March 23, 1972, 20 miles inside the Laotian border. On return from his mission, he radioed that his plane was having oil pressure problems. His Commander saw him eject, but his body was never recovered and in 1978 he was pronounced a casualty of war. My father gave me Pike’s Missing in Action bracelet later that year. It remains a treasured reminder of all the young men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice and of all the families who never saw their loved one come home.

To all of you and to all of the Veterans – I thank you, humbly, sincerely, and with gratitude. You are my heroes. We are not America without you.