An Important Reminder

This from an article by Ralph Peters- Lawdog also had a post alluding to this from Michael Yon’s website…

As Thanksgiving approaches, consider a vignette from Baghdad:

As part of its campaign to eliminate Iraq’s Christian communities, alQaeda in 2004 bombed St. John’s Christian church in Doura, in the city’s southern badlands. By last spring, local services had stopped completely.

Our Army’s 2nd Battalion of the 12th Infantry stepped up. Under Lt. Col.Stephen Michael (a Newark native), our soldiers methodically cleaned upDoura – no easy or painless task – and aided the reconstruction of the church.

Last week, a grateful congregation returned for a service that was, literally, a resurrection. Fifteen local Muslim sheikhs attended theMass to support their Christian neighbors. Could there be a more hopeful symbol?

Those long-suffering Iraqi Christians will celebrate Christmas in theirneighborhood church this year. “Peace on earth” will mean more to themthan mere words in a carol.

As for the grunts of 2-12 Infantry who made it all possible, their mottois “Ducti Amore Patria,” or “Having been led by love of country.”

On Thanksgiving Day, be thankful for such men.

As we sit down where ever we are for Thanksgiving, please take a moment to remember all the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines around the world who are spending their Thanksgiving far from home while keeping the USA safe and free!

Attention!

Hand Salute!

Ready Two!

Dismissed!

We are… (insert acronym here)

It’s really interesting to read various Web Logs (blogs) and see the assumptions the writers make that everyone knows exactly what the author means…

Also, the creation of words and acronyms to make things easier… yeah, right…

Just a random sample, but I wonder why the medical community worries about Unix Editors (ED) or Erectile Dysfunction (ED) (now who the hell made up dysfunction???)…

Or Cockpit Control displays and Charged Coupled Devices (CCD)…

Or El Monte Airport (EMT)…

And police websites that worry about Low Earth Orbit satellites (LEOs)…

And accountants that worry about Closest Point of Approach (CPA)…

Sigh…

Now granted we in the Military have one or two acronyms of our own… mostly due to having to communicate with Morse Code and/or signal flags, but it is sometimes funny what happens…

One of the best stories is LBJ’s (Lyndon Baines Johnson’s) introduction of the Blackbird when it was made public, it was originally known as the RS-71 (Reconnaissance (R) Fixed Wing (S) -71) within the Air Force. However, LBJ mis-pronounced the designator as the SR-71. The Air Farce, rather than correct the President, changed the designator and re-published all the documents.

Anyhoo…

Sometimes I’ll read a post, get a brain hiccup when the acronym doesn’t compute, and then have to go digging to figure out what the poster really meant. Oh yeah, the definitions above are:

Medical- ED- Emergency Department (used to be ER for Emergency Room)
CCD- Critical Care Doctor
EMT- Emergency Medical Tech

Law Enforcement- LEO- Law Enforcement Officer

Accountants- CPA- Certified Public Accountant

I’m gonna go back to my corner with my USNA and figure out what happens when a DD and FFG can’t work with the MC on the MPA to get their act together on UNITAS…

I’m tired of being lied to…

The war is lost, the immigrents “deserve” to stay, we’re going to clean up Congress, we need an new AWB… Where does it end… sigh…

The war is lost ONLY if you cut and run… The troops on the ground ARE winning the battles and skirmishes, not as fast as everyone wants, but they are winning over the Iraqis. We are losing people, no question; but everyone I know in the military would rather that and fight them there, than fight them here at home. Sometimes I’d just like to stick a sock in a few democrap’s mouths, starting with Reid, Pelosi, Murtha and Kennedy/Kerry.

I copied this from LAW DOG-

BlackFive did an interview with the CO of USMC Regimental Combat Team Six. In short, Colonel Simcock would like his Marines to know that — despite what the TeeVees in the chow hall, in quarters and everywhere else say — that Americans really do support them.

BlackFive is asking folks to send supportive e-mails to those Marines.

Done, and done. I am more than proud to do so.

The e-mail for those boys is: RCT-6lettersfromh@gcemnf-wiraq.usmc.mil

RCT-6 has their own blog at: http://fightin6thmarines.vox.com/

Please take a minute or two to send these folks an email and say thanks- It will mean the world to them. I know- I was there during Nam and remember how important EVERY letter was…

The “immigrants” are ILLEGAL ALIENS… what do you not understand about the truth???? We don’t need more laws, we need to ENFORCE the laws currently on the books. Eisenhower shipped a bunch home, why can’t this interation of government? Because they are afraid of upsetting potential voters because folks might actually have to pay a real price for services… Take all the money you’re spending on the arguments and hearings for the “new” laws that you won’t enforce and build more fence!!!!

Another thing that could be done is take away the impetus for all the illegal aliens to come here- the ability to send $$ home. Make it illegal to electronically transfer money to South/Central America- That stops $2 Billion a year leaving the country.
Second, make it illegal for the banks to electronically transfer money to South/Central American banks for check payment. Third, make it illegal to provide credit/loans without PROOF of American citizenship and a green card that is not made on a copy machine. Fourth, stop giving American citizenship by right of birth to illegal alien children; ONLY allow it if BOTH parents are here legally.

Two words for Congresscritters- TERM LIMITS… A max of two terms total- any combinations, House/House, House/Senate, etc… The only waiver would be to run for President, which is already term limitied.
Stop earmarks/Presidential line item veto- These two items in concert would stop frivilous spending just to ensure re-election.

Re-institute seniority provisions- e.g. If you are the senior member, you get your choice of jobs/committees, etc. then go down the list.

Put teeth in the Ethics and campaign violations- 1 violation= dismissal and criminal prosecution.

Ban PAC’s, lobbyists, and all the other hangers on.

Require Congress to tie their pay raises to raises in the minimum wage- Even better, make it a voting issue yes/no every 4 years with the presidental election- majority rules…

Reinforce the Second Amendment standing- we don’t need any more gun laws, we need the existing laws ENFORCED!!!!!

We now have national carry for LEO’s and retired LEO’s, we have not had the predicted bloodbaths in the streets. Gee I wonder why…

Let’s license guns like we do driver’s licenses…

You’re over 21, pass the tests, background checks, demonstrate safe gun handling; you get a license to carry, ALL the other states MUST allow receprocity just like we now do with driver’s licenses.

The other thing to do is standardize a realistic list of when/where you cannot carry- e.g. Federal buildings, bars generating more than 50% of revenue from liquor sales, common sense places.

Make Castle Doctrine a nationwide standard.

I feel better now… sigh… now back to your regularly scheduled blogging….