USO Canteen FReeper Style....FReeper FRiday..May 24,2002

FRiends of the USO Canteen FReeper Style and Snow Bunny

[Snow Bunny]

I would like you to meet FReeper Veteran HiJinx.

Thank you HiJinx for serving our country !

Somehow I always knew I was destined to be a part of the U.S. Armed Forces and travel around the world. That may be because my Air Force Father brought me in to this world as an Englishman, then taught me to walk and talk as an Italian! My poor grandparents couldn't understand a word I was saying when I first met them in Dayton, Ohio.

My Dad was career Air Force, my Step-Dad was Navy, so my brother and I joined the Army. Natural choice, right? This is the obligatory graduation photo, complete with the old bus driver's cap.

For some reason, they didn't trust us with live ammo on the live fire rush and cover course, so we used blanks. I'm not really pointing my M-16 at the photographer, it just looks that way. Maybe there's a good reason for them not to trust us!

The training was completed, graduation was a day away, and we were restricted to our barracks. Note the WWII era corrugated sheet metal construction. Our Basic Training Company, C-2-3, was the only one in the 3rd Battalion 'living' in Quonset huts in 1976. At the end of BCT I had lost 35 pounds and Mrs. HJ had not seen me for 3 months. On the back of this picture I penned "Here's a lousy picture by a lousy photographer, but it gives you an idea what we do on the weekends - sit around and wait!!"

My entire career was spent as a Military Intelligence NCO, and I'm rather proud to have been one of President Reagan's Cold War Warriors. My first duty station was at the USASA Field Station Berlin. Everything above the third floor of the main ops building (the one in the back) was antennas. Ostensibly, we were there providing worldwide communications support to American forces. The site has now been turned over to a German concern and is in use as a resort with a ski-lift, grass ski-slope, and toboggan run down the backside. There's also a 'clothing optional' beach at the base of the mountain. No, I never went there...wink-wink!

I re-enlisted 4 times during my career, this was the first. The Company Commander in this ceremony, a Captain, just finished his tour last year as the Deputy Commanding General of the US Army Intelligence Center at Ft. Huachuca.

Much of the photographic record of my time in uniform has me out of uniform! Our blonde Cocker Spaniel Sebastian is receiving a new pillow for his bed for Christmas. The poor boy begged for everything. Check out those paws...to dust those hardwood floors, we'd toss a ball for him to chase...he made a great dust mop, and got lots of exercise to boot!

My first CONUS (stateside) assignment was to the Big Red One (1st Infantry Division) at Ft. Riley, KS. Here Dad is doting on Jonathan, who is a natural ham. He'd follow a camera anywhere!

Another of the sights that all MI soldiers should be familiar with is the AN/FLR-9 (Flare 9) HF/DF Antenna System. This is the Augsburg site, where I spent 3 and a half pretty good years. On an earlier thread we paid tribute to NSA soldiers and civilians who had lost their lives in the line of duty, and the memorial says they 'Served in Silence.' That is still true to some extent. These sites are only shown now because they are no longer in use. ~Photo courtesy Carl Schweibinz

My final tour of duty was as a Combat Developments NCO here at Ft. Huachuca. I'm here to tell you, this was rough duty! TDY every month, living out of a suitcase, and putting on Dog and Pony shows to convince the Army to develop our new systems. The Association of the US Army (AUSA) shows weren't too bad, until the Chief of Staff, Army (GEN Sullivan) showed up for his briefing with 35 staff officers in tow!

This is what consumed my final years of service. The Army Family of Common Sensors was to be the last set of Intelligence and Electronic Warfare systems the Army would ever need, with reconfigurable electronics and antenna systems to handle the mission of the 10 different systems currently in the field. Pictured from left to right are the Ground Based Common Sensor-Light on a Heavy Hummer, the GBCS-Heavy on an Electronic Fighting Vehicle, and the USMCs Mobile Electronic Warfare Support System on an LAV-25. The upgraded Black Hawk is the Advanced Quickfix system with COMINT/ELINT sensor package and extended range fuel tanks.

For those who would like to see a larger, more detailed picture of Field Station Berlin on top of the Teufelsberg, click here. This is quite large, please be patient. Ditto for a larger picture of the AFCS Intelligence Collection Systems, click here.

[Snow Bunny]

Tribute to Vietnam Veterans....Please click on picture

The great intangible of America's wars beyond logistics, beyond strategy, beyond wonder weapons and Generals, is the spiritual force of its fighting men and women - and that is the force that the USO so serves.

Free Republic....Click for Donations

Thank you from all those that frequent the FReeper Canteen to Jim Robinson, Founder of FRee Republic and Navy Veteran.

[Snow Bunny]

Welcome to the FReeper Canteen!!

This is Memorial Day Weekend and I would like to thank all of you that have served our country and for my FReedom and liberty.

[Aeronaut]

Good morning Bunny.

[Snow Bunny]

The USO Canteen FReeper Style has been given permission to have an address where you can write snail mail and or send packages to our Soldiers in TF Rakkasan.

We are proud to adopt this Sergeant Major to our FReeper Canteen

"I can not say how to get a package to the Ranger Bns, but if you want to send one any way there are some great soldiers right here in TF RAKKASAN that would enjoy the package and most of them have been rangers anyway since that is where they seem to flow to when the get to the 101st. You can use my address if you want and I will pass it out to the grunts on the line for you and damn sure let them know."

Address:
SGM R A Herman
TF Rakkasan
HHC 3Bde
APO AE 09355

[Snow Bunny]

Good morning Aeronaut my friend. ( big smile)

I hope you have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend.

[JohnHuang2]

Good morning, friends =^)

[JohnHuang2]

[Aeronaut]

I hope you have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend.

I hope you, and all visitors today, have a great week-end, and that everyone will take a moment to be thankful for those who have given so much for the rest of us.

[Snow Bunny]

Hi John, great to see you. Thank you for the ping.

(( hug ))

I hope you have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend John.

[Aeronaut]

Good morning John. Have a great week-end.

[JohnHuang2]

I hope you have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend John.

Thanks! And may you and yours have a happy Memorial day weekend, too =^)

[JohnHuang2]

Thanks, amigo -- and have a happy Memorial Day Weekend, too.

[Neil E. Wright]

If you don't mind, I'd like to repost this, that I posted on the Tribute to Heroes thread:

Please take a couple of minutes from your busy weekend to remember the cost of YOUR FREEDOM. Your FREEDOM was paid for in the sweat, blood and LIVES of those we honor every Memorial Day. The men and women who fought and died in defiance of tyranny, and who paid the price willingly, so that their decendants would live FREE.

You and I are their decendants, and it is not just our priviledge to honor them on Memorial Day, it is our PROUD DUTY to keep their memory alive. Because as long as just ONE person remembers their name, and their sacrifice, then they are not truly dead.

So, sometime between the barbque and the beer, or between the picnics and the trips to the mall for "Memorial Day Sales" or outings at the beach or park, take just a minute to say "Thank You" to those who will never again be able to enjoy barbque or picnics or beer or outings at the beach or park, or trips to the mall. Their sacrifice must never be forgotten!

Click on the image to visit the tribute page

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±

Toward FREEDOM

[MeekOneGOP]

Mornin', Snow Bunny. Mornin' ALL!
This is GREAT, imho!

General Hawley Speaks Out About
Post Sep-11th Idiocy (must read!)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/688093/posts

Excerpt:

Let me share this letter by General Hawley regarding moral relativism in the post-Sep 11th world.........

Since the Sept. 11 attacks, I have seen, heard, and read thoughts of such surpassing stupidity that they must be addressed. You've heard them too.

1) "We're not good, they're not evil, everything is relative."

Listen carefully. We're good, they're evil, and nothing is relative. Say it with me now and free yourselves. You see, saying "We're good" doesn't mean "we're perfect." Okay? The only perfect being is Jesus.

The plain fact is that our country, with all our mistakes and blunders, has always been and always will be the greatest beacon of freedom, charity, opportunity and affection in history. If you need proof, open all the borders on Earth and see what happens. In about half a day, the entire world would be a ghost town and the U.S. would look like one giant line to see "The Producers."

2) "Violence only leads to more violence."

This one is so stupid you usually have to be the president of an Ivy League university to say it. Here's the truth, which you know in your heads and hearts already: Ineffective, unfocused violence leads to more violence. Limp, panicky half-measures lead to more violence.

Complete, fully-thought-through, professional, well-executed violence never leads to more violence because afterwards the other guys are all dead. Not "on trial," not re-educated, not nurtured back into the bosom of love. Dead.

3) "The CIA and the rest of our intelligence community has failed us."

For 25 years we have chained our spies like dogs to a stake in the ground, and now that the house has been robbed, we yell at them for not protecting us. Starting in the late 1970's under Jimmy Carter appointee Stansfield Turner, the giant brains who get these giant ideas decided the best way to gather international intelligence was to use spy satellites. After all, they reasoned, you can see a license plate from 200 miles away.

This is very helpful if you've been attacked by a license plate. Unfortunately, we were attacked by humans.

When we bought our spy satellites, we fired our humans, and here's the really stupid part. It takes years to infiltrate new humans into the worst places in the world. You just can't have a guy who looks like Gary Busey in a Spring Break '93 sweatshirt plop himself down in a coffee shop in Kabul and say, "Hiya, boys. Gee, I sure would like to meet that bin Landen fella."

[ppaul]

:

:

U.S. Memorial Day, May 30

"Changing the date merely to create three-day weekends has undermined the very meaning of the day.
No doubt, this has contributed greatly to the general public's nonchalant observance of Memorial Day."

:

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[Pippin]

GOOD MORNING, SNOW!

[MeekOneGOP]

Cowboys and Europeans
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/688634/posts



Excerpt:

Alas, the Europeans haven't grasped that in America only college professors and actors consider "cowboy" an insult. Thus Susan Sarandon achieved honorary European status for remarks earlier this month, when she summed up terrorism and the U.S. response as follows: "When you have a guy who thinks the best act is to blow himself up, along with others, you have to ask, 'What leads to that?' And is the response more violence? A cowboy shoot-'em-up?"

Note to Ms. Sarandon: Rent "High Noon" and get back to us after you see how Grace Kelly resolves that particular issue......

The last American president our European cousins liked to call a cowboy was Ronald Reagan--when he deployed the Euromissiles, when he bombed Libya, when he called the Soviet Union an "Evil Empire." So it shouldn't bother a man from Texas to find the Euro-set calling him a cowboy: He's wearing the white hat.

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I'm rather fond of this one myself..........

[larryjohnson]

Good FReepin mornin. No coffee yet and the sun is up in sunrise county,Maine,about 3 deg. I have to go hose down the windows before the sun hits them(prevents streaking). Also I will add my Vietnam Veterans of America flag to my U.S.A.F. flag and The Flag to fly for this Memorial Day weekend.

[ofMagog]

Friday May 24, 2002 at 2316
Off Christchurch, NZ
Headed south to Dunedin

There is a market there where I may be able to sell the sack of bikinis,
although I hate to be a shoddy dropper.

[4TheFlag]

Good TGIF morning to everyone! A wonderful Memorial Day weekend to all!

Hey there HJ! GOOD one Bro! Thank you for serving, and keep the lid on there at Fort We-Gotcha!:)