When liberals say the military are a bunch of hicks..

A recent Jacob Weisberg article denigrating the military leads to this post. It was discussed on Blackfive- the Paratrooper of Love. Here are my thoughts: Here is where I disagree with my military brothers. Instead of saying, "well, I prefer my rednecks better than you liberal twits anyway"- why not actually use statistics to prove they are WRONG! I have seen military inductee stats- the overwhelming majority of officers- close to 100% have bachelors degrees. Can you say that for the rest of the population? Many of us have advanced degrees- many of us have Juris Doctorates. Many have attended more years of school than 90% of liberals. Some of us are doctors, lawyers, businessmen. Some of us have given up lucrative careers like being journalists to join the force, others gave up athletic careers. To say that we are uneducated hicks is a way for the leftists to salve their conscience about not serving the country...

Iraqi Army units conducting stand along Ops..

From Bill Crawford at www.allthingsconservative.com: During Operation Raging Bull, Iraqis of the 7th Army Division operated independently for the first time in an area of Anbar province called the Triad:The Iraqi-led operation, which is part of a larger, on-going, Coalition Forces-led counterinsurgency operation dubbed Operation: Raging Bull, was the first, fully-independent Iraqi Army-led mission in the “Triad” region of Haditha, Haqliniyah, and Barwanah off the Euphrates River in western Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Iraqi soldiers planned, rehearsed, and executed the mission entirely on their own. A Military Transition Team (MTT) – a group of Coalition servicemembers assigned to logistically assist and guide each Iraqi military unit’s transition to independent operations - accompanied the Iraqi soldiers to advise them during the operation. This operation is another example of the continuing progress Iraqi Army units are making toward eventually assuming control of areas of Iraq, independent of Coalition forces. These Iraqis better be good, they were trained by Marines. Here is a photo from the operation: Iraqi soldiers with 2nd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 7th Iraqi Army Division, rush into a courtyard to search for weapons and ammunition caches and insurgent activity during a counterinsurgency operation in Khaffajiah, Iraq, March 14, 2006. The Iraqi-led operation, which is part of a larger, on-going, Coalition-led counterinsurgency operation dubbed Operation Raging Bull, was the first, fully-independent Iraqi Army-led mission in the "Triad" region of Haditha, Haqliniyah, and Barwanah off the Euphrates River in western Al Anbar Province, Iraq.

Well Said Mark Noonan...

Spring of Hope By Mark Noonan at 03:23 AM www.blogsforbush.com "What is a conservative Republican to do? We look around America today and all we see is gloom and doom - I've actually even heard tell of a GOP strategist who already considers the House lost, and the Senate teetering on the edge...that we are, in effect, merely in the two year run-up to President Hillary Clinton. It is all, of course, President Bush's fault. If only he'd done this, that or the other thing, all would be well. Forgotten in all the carping and complaining are two successful liberations, no terrorist attacks on US soil since 9/11, a booming economy, two conservative Supreme Court Justices and scores of lower court judges...and, of course, those three elections we've won under President Bush's leadership. Pardon me for not packing it in and shutting off the lights on the way out. No doubt about it, things appear bad. And that is just it, they appear bad. In actuality, things are really good right now. The Polls: Man, are they bad right now. Newsweek has the President's approval rating at 36%. Good, lord, that isn't even the whole GOP base! But, then again, Newsweek had Kerry ahead in 2004 with less than a month to go...figuring GW for 46%, when he actually score 51% on election day. And that was a poll of registered voters - the latest Newsweek poll is of adults 18 and older. Missing from the demographics provided is what part of the country they called, as well as the party ID breakdown. In short, Newsweek's poll isn't all that reliable. These polls do have their affect, however: they do tend to dishearten the GOP. And that, of course, is why they are produced. Who cares what a snapshot of opinion today says? The election is 8 months away, and until then President Bush sits atop his majority vote in 2004 and no amount of MSM polling will change that - it'll take voters to make a change...and yet we are essentially being told that because of things like the Newsweek poll, that all has gone to heck in a handbasket and the GOP is doomed. People will make of them what they will - as fo rme, I've found myself pretty much uninterested in polls. As soon as a few of the early "Bush is Doomed" polls were shown to be heavily skewed towards Democrats, I figured the MSM had got itself a meme and was going to run with it until reality shows up. That reality will show up in November, and all of a sudden the MSM will never, ever mention these polls again (though they will immediately start creating new polls to show how disappointed everyone is with the GOP victory of 2006). I've really never felt better about politics than I do now, and I genuinely expect GOP victory in the Fall - I just can't see us losing to these Democrats and their absurd leftwing base. But what if we were to lose? Well, then there is always that fact that I, like all GOPers, have a life...in other words, the roof wouldn't cave in for me if we did lose. We'd just get ready to win it all back in 2008 after everyone got a bellyfull of Speaker Pelosi. In politics, these days, to be a GOPer is to be in a "heads I win, tails you lose" position vis a vis the Democrats... even if they win, they lose. But they aren't going to win. It is a glad Spring for me, and I look forward to an entertaining Summer and a quite exciting Fall.

Hmm, wonder why the media doesn't report on THIS..

Today is Arbaen, the battle between the Shia and Sunni in the 9th century. 124 people were murdered two years ago in "internecine and sectarian violence." But how many are murdered today? I wonder if we will see the media have headlines such as "Sectarian violence has decreased by 93% in last two years" or "Religious violence dips for third straight week" or "Army enlistments now over 100%" I won't hold my breath.

Tillman and Staat- the best of US..

In San Jose, Tillman's legacy lives on, but quietly By Marco R. della Cava, USA TODAY SAN JOSE, Calif. — By Mike Haskey, AP He took a fancy to Marie Ugenti, the daughter of a team coach, and wound up marrying her.He took offense when a friend was bullied and pummeled the aggressor so fiercely that he was sentenced to 30 days in a juvenile detention center.He took exception to being pulled from a Leland Chargers rout, so he sneaked back on the field and returned the kickoff for a touchdown. That sort of personality isn't easily forgotten. So it is not a surprise to come upon a shrine of notes and flowers in one of the school's sun-splashed courtyards. But on closer inspection, there's a shock: A banner reads, "Goodbye, Gumby Girl, we'll miss you!" The memorial is for a Leland student who died April 24, not the 27-year-old who lost his life April 22 in Afghanistan and whose statistics most Americans know cold. Gave up a $3.6 million contract with the Arizona Cardinals. Made the grade as an $18,000-a-year Army Ranger. First NFL player to die in war in 34 years. He is being publicly mourned today in San Jose. Nothing at the school hints at his death. And school officials, friends and many former teammates have acceded to the family's wishes for silence.This, too, is what Pat Tillman would have wanted. Despite wearing an outsized persona on a compact frame — his long hair and flip-flops screamed California cool — Tillman never played the prima donna. When he and his brother Kevin enlisted, they drove from Phoenix to a Denver recruiting station to keep the move quiet. Not only did Tillman shun interviews, but he even balked at autograph sessions where fans had to pay for the privilege."Pat would say, 'Tell that (promoter) dude to pound sand; I'm not having any kid spend money for my autograph,' " says his agent, Frank Bauer. "They talk about impact players — well, he was an impact person. Pat never talked about himself and always looked out for others. After he'd call our office, we'd joke that John Wayne just got off the phone." Just as the Duke became a national symbol, some might suggest the same iconography awaits Tillman — even though the concept would repel him. Beyond a Silver Star and the Purple Heart, the soldier also will be honored by the Cardinals, who announced they will name a site near their new stadium Pat Tillman Freedom Plaza. And his alma mater, Arizona State University, is deciding on a tribute that will last beyond an impromptu memorial. Popular sentiment also runs high. The online auction site eBay is brimming with Tillman memorabilia, such as a replica jersey ($152) and an autographed football ($640). Web chat rooms buzz with Tillman talk. Most of it features the word "sacrifice," but there is some dissent. Graduate student Rene Gonzalez, writing in the Daily Collegian at the University of Massachusetts, stirred controversy by suggesting that Tillman is less hero and more Rambo, motivated by "nationalist patriotic fantasies." Others say all soldiers who give their lives should receive such attention. But Tillman's choice certainly seems a rare, selfless gesture in Me-centric times. Put another way: Would you trade fame and immense fortune for danger and possible death? Those who take that gamble inherently embrace the heroic, says Gail Evenari, director of The Heroism Project, a non-profit educational foundation."The traditional definition of a hero is someone who leaves an ordinary life for a calling, overcomes obstacles and brings a contribution back to the community," Evenari says. "Certainly (he) seems a perfect example of that ethic." Men who shared sporting trenches with Tillman always considered him inspirational."I wasn't surprised" that Tillman had enlisted, says the Philadelphia Eagles' Darwin Walker, who was a Cardinals teammate in 2000. "In life, people that are great have a little something different about them. That was Pat." But the man had a sense of mischief as well as mission. Mark Brand, an assistant athletic director at ASU, never forgot one away game against UCLA. After a stunning comeback win, ASU players ran over to their fans. Not Tillman. By most accounts, Tillman was motivated by deep convictions with mostly unseen roots. Even Tillman's childhood home is hidden from view behind a sprawl of greenery that dominates this rural neighborhood. At one end of the winding country road — where new Stars and Stripes sprout from trees and utility poles — is the Almaden Feed & Fuel, a rustic steak-and-potatoes joint where patrons and staff alike are mum on all things Tillman. At the other end, a plaque commemorates an 1824 dig, the first time ore was mined from the state's hills. Though Bauer says his client had "high principles that underpinned everything he did," he doesn't think Tillman was formally religious. The Tillman household — which includes Pat Sr., a lawyer; Mary, a teacher; and a third son, Richard, who is pursuing a career in comedy — was strict but not obsessively so. Clues are hard to come by, but the biggest insight into Tillman's decision to leave the NFL came the day after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Facing an Arizona camera crew, Tillman uncharacteristically spoke: "My great-grandfather was at Pearl Harbor, and a lot of my family has gone and fought in wars, and I really haven't done a damn thing as far as laying myself on the line like that. And so I have a great deal of respect for those that have and what the flag stands for." Some speculated that Tillman lost a friend in the attacks, but that was never confirmed. Two years ago Tuesday, Pat and Marie were married; they honeymooned in Bora Bora. Shortly after, Tillman and his brother Kevin, who played minor league baseball in the Cleveland Indians' organization, decided to leave their sports careers behind. They volunteered with the Army; their target was the elite Ranger corps. Initiates like the Tillmans clean latrines for months, and fitness tests make even grueling pro workouts seem cush. This was Tillman territory."Pat was always about pushing himself to the breaking point, and then going beyond that," says Jeremy Staat, who played with Tillman at ASU and is now with the Los Angeles Avengers arena football team. "To know him is not to be able to describe him." Their bond was brotherly. As Tillman was deployed, he asked his agent to check on Staat. "Here he's going into a war, and he's making sure someone is going to check on me," Staat says. The two buddies were "headstrong, confident and arrogant," Staat says. This led to heated discussions that "were almost physical." This always impressed Staat, who at 6-foot-5 and 300 pounds towered over his 5-foot-11 pal. But Tillman never backed down.Staat says he has mixed feelings about sharing his thoughts, but "I also feel he needs to be remembered," he says. He describes a casual college kid who kept his mattress on the floor until Marie persuaded him to spruce up the place with a bed frame. A guy who would be contrary just to spice up a conversation but also have your back on the field the instant you needed help. And then there is a recollection of a keepsake, treasured long before today's climate in which national hearts often are worn on sleeves. Though Tillman was a football standout with a 3.84 GPA, the only trophy on his apartment wall was a small piece of paper with childlike artwork. "It was a hand-drawn American flag. That's all that was up there," he says. "Nothing about himself or what he'd accomplished. Just that flag."

Cool Photoblog of 256th CBT in Iraq..

http://www.armychic256bde.com/index.html Lainey did a great job showing off her unit and friends. Very patriotic. Kind of jealous that they have such a tight unit in the Guard versus us IMA's who are the black sheep loners of the US military :)

Army National Guard Recruiting way UP...

Army National Guard Exceeds Recruitment Goals By Matt Margolis at 01:59 PM www.blogsforbush.com I bet the Left didn't see this coming. The Army Guard said Friday that it signed up more than 26,000 soldiers in the first five months of fiscal 2006, exceeding its target by 7 percent in its best performance in 13 years. At this pace, Guard leaders say they are confident they will reach their goal of boosting manpower from the current 336,000 to the congressionally authorized level of 350,000 by the end of the year. According to Guard leaders, the driving force behind the increase in recruitment is Guard members returning from Iraq and "reaching out to friends, old classmates and co-workers -- widening the face-to-face contacts that officials say are critical to recruiting." If things as bad in Iraq as the media and the Democrats claim, one would think Guard members coming back and engaging riends, old classmates and co-workers would have the opposite effect. I guess once again the Left have been proven wrong.

NFL Player Staat joins US Marines...

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/0/04CBC6A526671B398525712C00645FE7?opendocument All of the honor to this brave and patriotic American!

Good News from Iraq

Read What You're Not Reading About Iraq from Bill Crawford- the Alamo City Commando. Today's read it or weep is a piece he wrote for National Review Online: "Read what you're not reading about Iraq." So head over to National Review and check out his fine work. We just have to not give up and we win..

Hall to George Washington! 26-1 and A-10 Champs..

www.gwhatchet.com In a season built on defying expectations, the Colonials' 86-85 overtime win over Charlotte Saturday and the fashion in which they closed the deal seemed only natural. When senior Mike Hall missed a three-pointer from the top of the key with 11 seconds left, sophomore Maureece Rice hit the three from the corner to send the game into overtime.With time expiring in overtime, an air ball launched by freshman Noel Wilmore that would have given GW a win was tipped in by junior Carl Elliott. And that has been this season.When a player falters, a teammate is there to recover. On a day that had all the makings for a 49ers upset on Senior Day, the Colonials came through to complete a 16-0 Atlantic 10 schedule, only the fourth of its kind in league history. GW head coach Karl Hobbs, who won the NCAA championship as an assistant at Connecticut, said Saturday's win had a special feeling. "This has to rank up there as the No. 1 game since I've been coaching," Hobbs said. "For it to end in such a dramatic fashion and put the end to these guys' Senior Day, I couldn't have asked for anything better." For graduating seniors Omar Williams, Mike Hall, Alex Kireev and Pops Mensah-Bonsu, the win closed out a four-year period that started with a 12-16 record and a first-round exit in the A-10 Tournament. This year has brought the No. 6/7 Colonials (USA Today/Associated Press), and the four seniors who have spurred the success, a chance to have what Hobbs has called "a special season." But at 26-1, Hobbs still said he's not completely satisfied.

I KNEW the media was wrong on the "Iraq Civil War"!!

For the last three days Fox News, Washington Post, Reuters and other media were reporting that there were 1,300 dead at the Baghdad morgue. Supposedly from sectarian fighting in the capitol. Sounds pretty awful right? But even for me over here, how could 1,300 people be killed when there was a CURFEW for most of that time- where very few people were out on the streets. Where very few American casualties were occurring. If there was widespread shootouts where a THOUSAND people were not only wounded but KILLED, wouldn't we be seeing a ton of American casualties being caught in the crossfire?!! Well, well. Guess what: now the Washington Post runs this correction: : The reason I am willing to believe some "Iraqi politician" rather than the Washington Post because the paper, in this instance, was wrong, as they report today: "On Tuesday, the acting director of the morgue, Qais Hassan, denied that the morgue had received 1,300 bodies, according to the Reuters news agency. He said only 309 bodies had come in. However, even that figure, added to the more than 80 deaths in cities outside Baghdad reported by news media from Wednesday to Monday, exceeds the 379 deaths nationwide that Jafari cited." So, it is 10% of the total originally "reported". And even that, how many of the dead are just people who DIE every day in a city of 5 million? How many are normally killed from violence? From foreign terrorists? From an aggrieved boyfriend or robbery?!! The media can not be trusted.