And gottdamned if you don’t. Ol’ General Abizaid took a few heat rounds from both sides of the DMZ yesterday when he gave his statement to the stuffed suits on the hill.
Democrats, chiefly Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan, who will become committee chairman in January, have pushed for a timetable of withdrawals that would give the emerging Iraqi government four to six months before the U.S. began pulling out troops. Abizaid said he opposed that idea. “Under current circumstances, I would not recommend troop withdrawals.”
And from his right flank, a sniper calling for troop increases.
But it wasn’t just Democrats who expected to hear more out of Abizaid. Sen. John McCain of Arizona, who will become the committee’s senior Republican in January, said he found the general’s testimony lacking. McCain said he was “disappointed that you are basically advocating the status quo here today.”
What’d these Senators armchair generals think? That because Rummy got canned the top General runnin’ the war would have somethin’ different to say? Seems to me like some of ‘em were hopin’ to find out our Generals were just lapdogs for the SecDef. Surprise boys, our Generals, whether they get along with the SecDef or not, are gottdamned Generals and are prosecutin’ a war, not a frickin’ Sadie Hawkins dance.
Poor bastards must’ve been disappointed they didn’t get the answers they were fishin’ for so’s they could run to the camera’s and say, “Toldya so, Rummy was jacked up.”
It don’t matter a gottdamned bit who the Speaker of the House or Senate Majority Leader or Secretary of Defense or even Commander in Chief is…there’s a group of rat bastards out there that aim to kill us, all. And our armed forces are fightin’ back, and will continue to fight back regardless of which stuffed suit is in which leather chair on Capitol Hill.
Well the honorable, and I use that term loosely, John Kerry has finally shared what he really thinks of our men and women in uniform- we’re just a bunch of dumb asses who couldn’t catch on in school.
Kerry told students, “You know, education, if you make the most of it, if you study hard and do your homework, and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well.” But, he added, “If you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq.”
And he would know, afterall, the sumbitch has worn the uniform.
In response, Kerry issued a splenetic statement: “I’m not going to be lectured by a stuffed-suit White House mouthpiece standing behind a podium. … It disgusts me that these Republican hacks, who have never worn the uniform of our country, lie and distort so blatantly and carelessly about those who have.
Maybe Mr. Kerry is right, I don’t know how I made it in the gottdamned Army for 20-years, unable to tell my ass from my elbow, just dumb luck I guess. And I’ll bet that piece of sheepskin hangin’ on Hook’s wall from the University of Maryland came from a Cracker Jack box. We’re all just a bunch of stupid soldjurs who “got stuck” because instead of making an effort in school to be smart, we fed our homework to the dawgs. Guess I should’ve worked harder in home economics.
I’ve known a lot of soldjurs in my day, and as dumb as they all were, I’ve not met a more honorable bunch. In fact, I’d pick anyone of them stupid stuck bastards over Mr. Kerry anyday to be on my team, at least I know where the soldurs stand and that their word means somethin’. Somebody should’ve busted Kerry’s chops a long gottdamned time ago cause the arrogant sumbitch just don’t get it.
REPORTS that North Korea had apologised for conducting a nuclear test were “inaccurate”, China said today, adding there was no guarantee the reclusive state would not test again.
I don’t know if’n you’ve heard of these Soldjurs’ Angels, but they’re makin’ a helluva impact on our men and women in uniform I’ll tell ya. I just got done readin’ a letter from a soldjur’s mom that hit me square in the gut.
Patti:
My name is [redacted]. My son was a computer wizard and communication specialist with [redacted] and most recently at Camp Ramadi, Iraq.
Patti, I have found your letter to my son tonight as I was going through all of his mail that he had saved and some of the mail that I had sent to him that he never received.
My son died of non-combat related medical complications at [redacted]. My son was buried with full Military Honors and among many Medals he received the Bronze Star. Services were held at Arlington National Cemetery on York Street near a nice Maple tree.
Well I’ll be gottdamned. These angels are just that, Soldjurs’ Angels.
Whatinthehell is a hero anyway? Well I can tell you that it sureashell ain’t Terrel “Gottdamned Crybaby” Owens! He needs his damn chops busted. Hook has done a pretty damned good job of brining you examples of real heroes with his Your Soldier pieces, but let me tell ya, there’s a helluva lot more heroes among us, we just ain’t seein’ ‘em.
Hero- Pronunciation: ‘hir-(”)O; Function: noun; Inflected Form(s): plural heroes; Etymology: Latin heros, from Greek hErOs 1 a: a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability b: an illustrious warrior c: a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities d: one that shows great courage; 2 a: the principal male character in a literary or dramatic work b: the central figure in an event, period, or movement; 3 plural usually heros; 4: an object of extreme admiration and devotion : IDOL
Aw hell, that’s nice, thanks Webster. But I wish it were that damned simple.
So I’m read’n a story about how a group of American soldjurs in Iraq allegedly rape a 14-year old Iraqi girl and kill her family and my blood begins to boil’n because these guys have done more to lose the gottdamned war in a matter of minutes, than the rest of our 150,000+ soldjurs have done in three years to win the sumbitch!
On a night in June, Pfc. Justin Watt lay in his cot in Iraq, anguishing over whether to tell Army investigators that he suspected soldiers from his own platoon had raped a 14-year-old girl and then killed her and her family.
He decided to call his father back home. “If you knew something bad about your brothers,” Watt asked him, “would you come forward?” The satellite phone link between Iraq and South Carolina was clear, and Rick Watt remembers that his son sounded distraught.
An Army veteran, the elder Watt asked for details, but Justin Watt would offer none. Finally, Rick Watt told his son that whatever had happened would have to be monstrous. “Heinous,” he said, “is the only reason for giving up a brother.”
Hours later, Justin Watt, 23, of Tucson, told authorities what he had learned from talking with another soldier from their platoon in the 101st Airborne Division. That soldier is one of four now accused of the killings March 12 in Mahmoudiya, Iraq.
Private First Class Justin Watt is a gottdamned hero! Oh, I know, he’s probably hated by all his comrades and doesn’t much feel like a hero, but he is. And I’ll bust your chops if you disagree! You see, my definition of a hero is simple, it’s based on the Army’s 7 Values. If you violate any of ‘em, you ain’t no hero. If you live ‘em, not preach ‘em, but LIVE ‘em, in my book, you’re a bonifuck’nfied hero. Let me break it down for ya and you decide if PFC Watt is a hero or not…
Bear true faith and allegiance to the U.S. Constitution, the Army, your unit and other Soldiers.
Watt obviously struggled with this Army Value, but in the end, he held true to his faith and allegiance to the U.S. Constitution, the Army, and his unit. If his fellow soldjurs weren’t such scumbags, he might’ve been able to remain loyal to them, but they screwed the gottdamned pooch on that, didn’t they!
Though he found it difficult, and after seeking council from his dad, PFC Watt did just that, he fulfilled his gottdamned obligations and let the chips fall whereverthehell they may.
Put the welfare of the nation, the Army and your subordinates before your own.
Watt knew the risks both to his person and his career, but did the right thing anyways. I’ll be damned! I wonder just how many of us would put the truth before our own gottdamned careers?!
Private First Class Justin Watt has demonstrated nothing but honor. He did not run to the gottdamned media with an embarassing story about soldjurs, instead he called his dad for advice, struggling with what was right and wrong and in the end, did what was right, via the right channels. Watt demonstrated the hell out of honor.
Face fear, danger or adversity (physical or moral).
Anyone think that this young soldjur didn’t overcome fear, danger or adversity? I’ll bust your damned chops if you think otherwise! I’m hardpressed to find another example of a soldjur demonstrating personal courage.
Private First Class Justin Watt probably wishes he’d never discovered what his platoon mates had done. But he had, and he responded. Private First Class Justin Watt is a bonifuck’nfied hero and our Army needs more young men and women like him in the ranks.
HONOLULU — A federal appeals court said Thursday the Army’s plan to create a 3,800-soldier Stryker Brigade in the islands violated environmental laws by not properly considering all alternatives — including basing the new brigade someplace other than Hawaii.
A three-judge panel of the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 that the Army must now complete a supplemental analysis that would consider a variety of locations for the Stryker vehicles and the soldiers connected with them.
David Henkin, a lawyer for Earthjustice, which filed the lawsuit on behalf of three Native Hawaiian groups, said the ruling means the Army must stop all Stryker-specific construction and training in Hawaii.
Pass the gottdamned granola.
Noting that “our nation is at war,” the Army said in a statement Thursday that it is disappointed by the ruling and its attorneys will decide what action is appropriate.
“We are proud to be part of this community and will continue to fulfill our dual responsibilities to train and protect the environment,” the Army said.
The $1.5 billion Stryker project would be one of the Army’s largest in Hawaii since World War II. The brigade, which could be used as a rapid response force in combat zones around the Pacific, is expected to bring nearly $700 million in construction projects.
Your damned right “our nation is at war” and the hell with being “disappointed,” hows about we get pissed off!? I think it’s high time we go back to the days when I was a young soldjur and we was paid with $2 bills so that at the end of the day, when local business owners closed out their cash drawers, they’d be able to see just how much gottdamned money soldjurs spent in their shops.
Judge William A. Fletcher said in Thursday’s majority opinion that the Army’s environmental studies in the run-up to starting work on brigade facilities never adequately answered the question, “Why Hawaii?”
Why Hawaii? You know, I always thought judges were smart, but this one needs to have his chops busted. I’ll tell you why Hawaii, your honor. Because the gottdamned North Koreans don’t give a rat’s ass about Hawaii’s or California’s or Idaho’s freakin’ environment! That’s why Hawaii! Idiot!
I don’t know what bar these judges passed, but I’ve passed several in my day, even stopped in a few, and I don’t think these morons are qualified to sit on a gottdamned park bench.
This site is a collection of my writings, thoughts, and ramblings and in no way reflects the official positions of the United States Army or the Department of Defense. OPSEC trumps everything.
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In view of a recent tendency to identify characters in fiction with real people, it seems proper to state that there are no real people in this volume: both the characters and their names are ficticious. The names or designations of any military units are ficticious. There are no living people nor existing military units presented in this book.
-Ernest Hemingway
Halfway down the road to hell,
In a shady meadow green,
Are the souls of all dead troopers camped
Near a good old-time canteen.
And this eternal resting place
Is known as Fiddler's Green.
-Author Unknown
The Blog of War
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