http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/army/ en-us Thu, 31 Dec 2009 07:32:32 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2418208/posts Every time I write about tank sales I get the comment that Iraq should buy armored personnel carriers instead. The commenter always says they are less threatening to the neighbors and more useful for internal security. 1. Appeasement is a western concept and has failed repeatedly. Weakness is an invite to invasion in the mid-east mentality. 2. Tanks are a measure of power in the mid-east. Power makes enemies lay low in the mid-east. 3. Iraq has been buying armored personnel carriers and other vehicles for internal security. They have plenty in their inventory or on order already. Montrose Toast http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2418208/posts#comment Thu, 31 Dec 2009 07:32:32 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2414905/posts While serving as a military linguist in Baghdad this year, 21-year-old Ikram Mansori bolted from her sleep one night in September. She knew her little brother was in trouble. Back in San Francisco, Hatim Mansori, 11, had just finished baseball practice and was riding a Muni bus home - the first time he'd ever ridden public transit alone. "The bus stopped at 19th and Mission, and this guy got up from the back of the bus, came up and stabbed me and flew out the door," Hatim said. "For no reason." Ikram Mansori was able to get a phone call... SFGATE http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2414905/posts#comment Fri, 25 Dec 2009 13:34:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2414878/posts Each year at Christmas, we remember our troops, far from home, standing be tween us and the latest Herods out to slaughter the innocents. As a former soldier, my thoughts are with the "ground pounders" out there, whether in Iraq, Afghanistan or Fort Hood, Texas. The challenges they face are immeasurably greater than those we faced in the black-boot, Cold War Army. But we all have our special memories. I recall Christmases in the 1st Battalion of the 46th Infantry, in Germany, three decades ago. Our Army was far poorer then, without the lavish support we provide today. NY Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2414878/posts#comment Fri, 25 Dec 2009 10:27:59 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2414699/posts FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Dec. 24, 2009) — Many family members have already gathered at Nutter Field House awaiting the Christmas Eve return of more that 150 soldiers from the 50th Multirole Bridge Company, which deployed to Iraq last December. The unit’s military mission was “full spectrum bridging operations in support of the 555th Engineer Brigade and Central Command Forces,” according to Fort Leonard Wood spokesmen. The company is part of the 5th Engineer Battalion, most of which returned from a 15-month Iraq deployment earlier this summer. Military personnel do not routinely announce the precise arrival time of returning units... Pulaski County Daily News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2414699/posts#comment Thu, 24 Dec 2009 22:16:41 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2414267/posts Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Robert L. Howard, the only American soldier ever nominated for the award three times for three separate actions, died today in Waco, Texas, at the age of 70. Bob McCarty Writes http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2414267/posts#comment Thu, 24 Dec 2009 04:13:02 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2413322/posts Early last month, Army Maj. Gen. Tony Cucolo (left) issued General Order #1 as a means of informing those assigned to his Multi-National Division North (a.k.a., "Task Force Marne") that becoming pregnant -- or assisting in the effort -- is one of several types of conduct deemed "prejudicial to the maintenance of good order and discipline" among members of the 22,000-strong task force headquartered in Tikrit, Iraq. In fact, it ranks alongside alcohol, drugs, guns and similar vices on the general's list of prohibited activities. Bob McCarty Writes http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2413322/posts#comment Tue, 22 Dec 2009 22:21:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2413048/posts An Army general in Iraq backed away from his threat today to court martial female soldiers who get pregnant. "I see absolutely no circumstance where I would punish a female soldier by court martial for a violation ... none," Maj. Gen. Anthony Cucolo III wrote to ABC News in an exclusive statement. " I fully intend to handle these cases through lesser disciplinary action." Cucolo triggered debate, some of it angry, when his Nov. 4 policy forbidding pregnancy among his soldiers became public recently. His policy statement said violation of the rule could be punishable by court martial, and that... ABC News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2413048/posts#comment Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:41:51 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2412118/posts Readers may not have noticed that there was news this week from Fort Hood, the scene of an evil attack in which 13 Americans were killed and 30 wounded by a U.S. Army officer turned traitor less than two months ago. It would be easy not to notice, since there seems to have been no national press reaction so far, but local news outlets are reporting new regulations. According to a story by Amanda Kim Stairrett of the Killeen Daily Herald, the new policy tightens gun regulations in three main areas. Military personnel who live on the installation and own... chicago gun rights examiner http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2412118/posts#comment Mon, 21 Dec 2009 11:55:24 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2410526/posts Ostensibly the story of the elegant Lipizzaner stallions in Vienna, this 1963 Disney film is blatantly pro-America with some authentic history thrown in. The director of Vienna’s legendary Spanish Riding School, Alois Podhajsky was desperate to protect his extraordinary horses from the vicious Nazi commanders. Hopes were dim until the arrival of horseman General George S. Patton who crafted a bold mission to rescue the splendid animals and keep the breed alive. In 1945, by sheer serendipity, the U.S. Third Army moved into Upper Austria at the time Colonel Podhajsky had hidden the horses on a private estate. Podhajsky showed... www.joytiz.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2410526/posts#comment Fri, 18 Dec 2009 17:35:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2409375/posts Allen West to be a guest on Laura Ingraham Radio Show When: Thursday, Dec. 17th 2009 at 10:00am Allen's guest appearance will be aired on Thursday's edition of the Laura Ingraham Radio Show. Please forward this to your friends and colleagues Hope you are able to tune in! Allen West for Congress FL-22 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2409375/posts#comment Thu, 17 Dec 2009 09:34:44 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2408672/posts North quotes one brave Marine: "That's what we do, we're Americans!" A must see video clip from Ollie North. NRA http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2408672/posts#comment Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:19:59 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2408534/posts On a chilly Saturday morning this month, the future soldiers of the U.S. Army huffed and puffed through push-ups, sit-ups and stretches in Whittier Narrows Regional Park in South El Monte. There was the gangly white kid with the blond buzz cut and the buffed-out Latino dude, head draped in a black bandanna. And then there was Jennifer Ren, small, slight and bespectacled, an immigrant from China who gamely kept up with the guys and sees the Army as a ticket to U.S. citizenship and a job in accounting and finance. Down the training line was Christopher Ly, the son... Los Angeles Times / latimes.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2408534/posts#comment Wed, 16 Dec 2009 08:08:32 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2408377/posts FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Dec. 14, 2009) — The post commander of Fort Leonard Wood helped wish the National Guard a happy 373rd birthday Friday during a cake-cutting ceremony at the Engineer Hall of Flags in the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence. Maj. Gen. Gregg Martin called the Guard a national treasure. “It’s the foundation of our nation’s defense,” Martin said. “The thing that really strikes me about the Guard is that it’s all about great people who are excellent citizens of our country. There’s the tradition of citizen-soldier embedded all the way from the top of the government down... Pulaski County Daily News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2408377/posts#comment Wed, 16 Dec 2009 01:58:47 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2408162/posts FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Dec. 10, 2009) — More than 300 pillows were donated by the residents and businesses in the Eagle 93.9 FM listening area and delivered by the Missouri National Guard on Wednesday to the Warrior Transition Unit on post. The Columbia radio station received the donations after their program, “The Drive,” hosted by Gary Nolan, spoke live with a Missouri National Guardsmen from Afghanistan on Veterans’ Day. On Nov. 11, Veterans’ Day, Nolan had Staff Sgt. Norman Robert Proctor of the 1140th Military Police Company as a call-in guest from Afghanistan on his program, which runs from... Pulaski County Daily News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2408162/posts#comment Tue, 15 Dec 2009 20:27:09 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2406256/posts I been catching Army-Navy and I have not noticed any TV shots of Zero. I guess he already used the Cadets for his photo opportunity during his Afghan speech so he has no need for them anymore. Also I suppose he does not want to go back into "enemy territory". http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2406256/posts#comment Sat, 12 Dec 2009 20:51:23 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2406116/posts On December 12, 1985, 248 members of the 3/502 Infantry of the 101st Airborne Division perished on an Air Arrow crash near Gander, Newfoundland. They were on their way home to spend the holidays with their families and friends after completing a peacekeeping mission in the Sinai Desert.On the morning of 12 December 1985, at 0645 local time (0515 EST), Arrow Airlines flight 1285, a DC-8-63 charter carrying 248 passengers and a crew of eight, crashed just after takeoff from Gander International Airport, Gander, Newfoundland. All on board perished. The postcrash fire, fed by the contents of the stricken aircraft's... various http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2406116/posts#comment Sat, 12 Dec 2009 16:28:26 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2405515/posts Today at 17:24 | Ukrainian News Ukraine and Iraq have concluded a $550 million contract on supplies of Ukrainian military equipment to Iraq. Oleksandr Kovalenko, the first deputy director general of the Ukrspetseksport state special export company,said this at a news briefing. According to him, Ukrspetseksport concluded the contract with Iraqi companies some two months ago. Oleksandr Kovalenko said the contract envisages supplies of over 400 units of armored vehicles within 3-3.5 years, some ten aircraft An-32, and provision of services to the Iraqi side on repair and upgrade of aircraft. "To date, a contract has been signed on supplies... Kyiv Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2405515/posts#comment Fri, 11 Dec 2009 17:30:54 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2405471/posts Just thought with the game tomorrow and the Cadets/Midshipmen making their way to Phili today I'd create a thread for old grads from each side to root for their team. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2405471/posts#comment Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:46:03 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2403712/posts Army Ranger 1st Lt. Michael Behenna finds himself in a cell at Fort Leavenworth. Join the effort to help him obtain justice -- and freedom -- by sharing the information below with bloggers, journalists, talk show hosts, elected officials and anyone with a forum to help the American people find out about his case. Bob McCarty Writes http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2403712/posts#comment Wed, 9 Dec 2009 15:29:25 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2403710/posts Army Ranger 1st Lt. Michael Behenna was convicted of unpremeditated murder in the death of Ali Mansur, a known Al-Qaeda operative, in an area north of Baghdad. This is part three of his story. Bob McCarty Writes http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2403710/posts#comment Wed, 9 Dec 2009 15:24:46 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2403544/posts The Department of Defense announced today the alert for mobilization of a replacement unit scheduled to deploy in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Approximately 2,600 soldiers from the 29th Combat Aviation Brigade, headquartered at Edgewood, Md., will begin deploying in the summer of 2011. DefenseLink http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2403544/posts#comment Wed, 9 Dec 2009 09:11:07 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2403297/posts EDITOR'S NOTE: On July 31, 2008, Army Ranger 1st Lt. Michael Behenna was charged with the premeditated murder of Ali Mansur, a known Al-Qaeda agent operating near Albu Toma, an area north of Baghdad. Seven months later, the leader of the 18-member Delta Company, 5th platoon of the Army 101st Airborne Infantry Division was convicted of unpremeditated murder and sentenced to 25 years confinement at Fort Leavenworth. Below is the second installment of a multi-part investigative series detailing the spurious case against Lieutenant Behenna, now 26, adapted from "The Michael Behenna Story (pdf)” (26 pgs., PDF) by new BMW contributor... Bob McCarty Writes http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2403297/posts#comment Wed, 9 Dec 2009 00:34:45 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2403265/posts EDITOR’S NOTE: On July 31, 2008, Army Ranger 1st Lt. Michael Behenna was charged with the premeditated murder of Ali Mansur, a known Al-Qaeda agent operating near Albu Toma, an area north of Baghdad. Seven months later, the leader of the 18-member Delta Company, 5th platoon of the Army 101st Airborne Infantry Division was convicted of unpremeditated murder and sentenced to 25 years confinement at Fort Leavenworth. Below is the first installment of a multi-part investigative series detailing the spurious case against Lieutenant Behenna, now 26, adapted from "The Michael Behenna Story (pdf)” (26 pgs., PDF) by new BMW contributor... Bob McCarty Writes http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2403265/posts#comment Tue, 8 Dec 2009 23:43:56 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2402742/posts A common misperception about reported plans to increase the strength of the Iraqi Army, Federal Police, and Emergency Response Force [Ministry of Interior Special Forces] is that Iraq cannot afford the extra personnel and that it is not going to happen. The reality is that the personnel are already on the Iraqi Government’s pay-role. These increases are a transfer, retraining and re-designation of paramilitary personnel currently serving in provincial security forces and the Peshmerga. In the Iraqi Ministry of Interior, this program is called “Nationalization”. Nationalization started in 2007 when the Provincial Police Departments were ordered to separate the trained... Montrose Toast http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2402742/posts#comment Tue, 8 Dec 2009 13:01:07 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2401863/posts WASHINGTON (AFP) – President Barack Obama's order to surge 30,000 troops into Afghanistan presents the US military with a giant logistical challenge as it faces some of the most forbidding terrain in the world. With few paved roads and a vast, rugged landscape, moving soldiers and equipment into Afghanistan "is a bigger challenge than certainly was the case in Iraq," Defense Secretary Robert Gates said last month. Fulfilling Obama's vow to send troops at the "fastest pace possible," the first units of the buildup are due to arrive within two to three weeks, and the military plans to have all... Yahoo News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2401863/posts#comment Mon, 7 Dec 2009 06:12:40 GMT