Semper Gratus!

Once again the great folks at AmpSurf will be hosting a group of Wounded Warriors for a week of surf, sand, sun and fun. I posted about the first event in “These guys will try anything!” if you would like to see pics and read the story from Donna, Los Osos. I got the heads-up about this year’s event from Dana Cummings, AmpSurf’s Executive Director:

Hey all:
Please note that we did this again in 2007 and are doing it this year August 14th-18th, 2008. If you would like to come out and Volunteer we would love to have you. Also if you are a veteran and would like to learn to surf please contact us to participate. Just go to the website http://www.ampsurf.com and click on Operation Restoration III.

Yeehah!! A great pic by Desiree Cobb of an incredible athlete.

Check it out! I hope there’s lots of coverage of this year’s event since I won’t be able to be there again… Donna, I’m counting on you for another full report!

Michael Yon’s got the post that can’t be missed or dissed. Come Home is a must see!

Way to go, Mike!!! This is the image of Iraq that we’ve all been waiting to see - one country, one people. Praise God that these good Muslim neighbors want their old friends to come home.

Long Live the New Iraq!!!!

Thanks to the American Legion, Jeff Davis Post 18 and America’s Wounded Heroes, 4 Wounded Warriors from Walter Reed were treated to a very special Veteran’s Day this year.

SGT Josh Sparling, SSG Sean Cannon, CPL Robert Schubert, SPC Chase Matthews with their ducks and shotguns.

4 shotguns were donated for the guys! A Charles Daly from Ducks Unlimited, an H&K from Bass Pro Shop and 2 Brownings from Safari International and MD Waterfowl Association.

Action shot!

Chase shoots with his dad, Rudy, looking on.

Josh concentrating.

The Times Herald of Port Huron, MI, did a really nice article this weekend about the charity America’s Wounded Heroes and the duck hunt event. Unfortunately, we didn’t get all the pics edited and uploaded in time for them to be included in the article. For all the fun stuff and some serious photos, check it out here.

Josh and Mike Sparling.

The great Veterans and spouses of the American Legion Jeff Davis Squadron and Post 18, Centerville, MD made the whole weekend wonderful! They made our young heroes feel like superstars (which, of course, they are!). There will be more news and updates on the AWH website once I get it updated IS more news and stuff on the New, the Improved, America’s Wounded Heroes website!

Lights on the flight deck of the multi-purpose amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) illuminate an MV-22 Osprey attached to Marine Medium Tilt-rotor Squadron (VMM) 263 as it transits the Straits of Tiran. Wasp is on a surge deployment bringing the Osprey on its first combat deployment to the Middle East. Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Zachary Borden, Navy Visual News Service.

Gee, wish I got one of these for My birthday!

Let’s push the Marine Team up a bit on the Valour-IT competition! Make a contribution on the 10th in honor of your favorite Devildog.

Voting is now closed - Monday, November 5th
Yes, Marty and the gang are in the running for the Above and Beyond Awards sponsored by Microsoft and the USO.

Microsoft Corporation, in partnership with the United Service Organizations (USO), is recognizing the contributions of the military community - the friends, family, and other individuals who help brighten the lives of U.S. troops throughout the world - with the creation of the first annual Above and Beyond Awards.

You can vote up to 5 times! So vote early and often!!!

Rather than standing out front with the FReepers getting rained on, I accepted an invitation to spend the evening indoors watching a very cool band.

Gary Sinise, bassist and front man for the LT Dan Band.

The band

The concert was sponsored by the USO which had volunteers scurrying everywhere! They gave out bagged meals (sandwiches, salads, chips & soda) followed by some really yummy key lime pie. There were also people handing out sample cans of Right Guard X Body Spray which Mike Sparling kept telling everyone I needed more of. *jerk*

Intro to Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy (of Co ‘B’)

As viewed from the balcony

My cutiepie neighbor and her parents. Daddy won an XBox in the door prize drawings.

Iraq and Vietnam Vets

The Vietnam Vet pictured above is Murphy Neal Jones, Colonel, USAF (Retired). He spent 7 years in POW Hell during that war (1966-1973)

There were times when I wanted to die to end this ordeal, but my faith in God, my country, my family and the American people gave me the strength to endure it. I considered myself very patriotic when I was captured, but the patriotism I felt at that time is only a fraction of what I feel now. There is no denying that we have some problems in our country, but it is still by far the greatest country in the world.

Col Jones is a wonderful, gracious man who was obviously in heaven being around these young guns. His pride in the new generation of warriors just spilled out as he worked the crowd before and after the concert. Talk about a hero!

A Tired pup

Mike is showing Gary and crew member the back of the “Major League Infidel” shirts. The crew member was waaaay happy about getting a 2XL for himself and a bunch more for the band. My stash is now officially gone.

The band came early and toured the wards. Gary then stayed late and shook hands/had pictures taken with everyone. There were probably 200-250 people there. One kid looked like he should not have been out of the hospital yet, but he stayed thru most of the concert!

Gary and the band were very, very nice! It was obvious that their hearts really went out to the wounded warriors and the crowd was very appreciative.

Cross-posted at the Vox site.

MNF-Iraq, BAGHDAD — In a well-lit meeting room in a government building in the Iraqi capital, 20 Iraqi women were sitting in a circle, intently watching the demonstration in the center of the room. They were dressed modestly but with some flair: bright pink and blue headscarves mixed in among the black chadors, chunky, designer purses resting on the floor beneath their seats.

The friendly, casual atmosphere in the room looked similar to a suburban book-club meeting, or maybe a Mary-Kay cosmetics party. Except that these women were not learning how to apply foundation, they were learning how to lock and load an AK-47.

“Who can show me how to do it?” asked the instructor, an Iraqi Army sergeant, holding up the weapon.

One of the women jumped up and took the automatic rifle, expertly disassembled it and put it back together. When she cocked it by loudly slamming the charging handle back, the rest of the women applauded.

They might well have been applauding themselves. As members of the first class of female security volunteers in Adhamiyah, all 51 women in the class were groundbreakers. The women will join hundreds of male residents that are already helping secure Adhamiyah by guarding important public sites like schools, hospitals, and government buildings.

Pretty cool, huh?

read the rest.

Rush Limbaugh finally said what is really going on in the halls of power (Washington, DC that is): the Stalinists are emerging from their long, long wait and beginning to implement the dictator’s policies.

We are experiencing intimidation from the Leftinistas as never before seen, i.e. Media Matters smear of Rush for using two words, “phony soldier”, using “the children!” to push socialized medicine (SCHIP) on the taxpayers and calling a 4-star General a liar.

Lee Bollinger, Columbia University President, just sucker-punched the hell out of Achmeduchybag. Turn on any AM radio talk show and you’ll hear about it.

Bollinger levied repeated criticisms against Achmeduchybag, calling on him to answer a series of challenges about his leadership, blasting his views about the “myth” of the Holocaust “absurd” and saying that he doubted he “will have the intellectual courage to answer these questions.”

“Mr. President, you exhibit all the signs of a petty and cruel dictator,” Bollinger said, to loud applause. He said Achmeduchybag’s denial of the Holocaust might fool the illiterate and ignorant.

“When you come to a place like this it makes you simply ridiculous,” Bollinger said. “The truth is that the Holocaust is the most documented event in human history.”

Dear Dr. Bollinger,
From the bottom of my heart: OOOOO FREAKIN’ RAH!

RIP Sgt. Eddie Jeffers

Sgt Jeffers was the author of the scathing essay Hope Rides Alone.

People like Cindy Sheehan are ignorant. Not just to this war, but to the results of their idiotic ramblings, or at least I hope they are. They don’t realize its effects on this war. In this war, there are no Geneva Conventions, no cease fires. Medics and Chaplains are not spared from the enemy’s brutality because it’s against the rules. I can only imagine the horrors a military Chaplain would experience at the hands of the enemy. The enemy slinks in the shadows and fights a coward’s war against us. It is effective though, as many men and women have died since the start of this war. And the memory of their service to America is tainted by the inconsiderate remarks on our nation’s news outlets. And every day, the enemy changes…only now, the enemy is becoming something new. The enemy is transitioning from the Muslim extremists to Americans. The enemy is becoming the very people whom we defend with our lives. And they do not realize it. But in denouncing our actions, denouncing our leaders, denouncing the war we live and fight, they are isolating the military from society…and they are becoming our enemy.

He knew what he was doing was right and good and on September 19, 2007 he died for our freedom.

H/T concretebob

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UPDATE 9/21: Flag Gazer has a most wonderful letter from Eddie’s father, and a lot more info about this awesome Soldier. Pleaes read SGT Eddie Jeffers ~ Farewell and walk with God.

Jim Webb (D-VA) is an ass!

1/6 Marines is where his son is serving, and I can’t believe “son” is terribly proud of his EX-Marine daddy. Webb is complaining that we’re expecting too much from our troops. He quoted Eisenhower from the Korean war saying that the troops did all we asked and more, but Webb thinks the poow widdle men and women are being abused unnecessarily cause “Bush sucks!”. looser!

Chairman Biden (D-DE) and Obama (D-IL) keep spewing their own vision (”There’s no strategy by this administrations! Waaahhhhh!”) and have not been listening at all to General Petraeus or Ambassador Crocker. These guys are insane!
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Started listening late today (that work stuff really gets in the way )
The Armed Services Committee Hearing is going to start at 2:15pm EST.
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Oh, fer cryin’ out loud! CSPAN is taking calls from all the loonies it can grab. They all think its a huge Halliburton conspiracy with Bush and Cheney stealing oil. *barf!*
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AAAAAHHHHGGGGG! Senator Byrdbrain (D-WV) is asking “What, if any, connection is there between Sept 11th and Iraq?”

This old windbag can’t zip his own pants anymore let alone think in any way other than party-line drivel…
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Aaaahh, a breath of clean, sober air! Sen Inhofe (R-OK) is reliving his time spent in Iraq and putting the successes he’s seen in their proper importance. He’s apologizing to the Gen. and Amb. for CodePink’s behavior and for the abominable remarks by Cong. Lantos yesterday. Asking who is responsible for the report given today.

Gen. Petraeus gives due to his crack team of assistants!!!! All was done by himself and his staff (who know how much the CLs love them!!!).

HAHA! Inhofe suggested that Byrdbrain and Kennedy go to Iraq and check things out for themselves before spewing their “no success, we must surrender” spiel. Good on ya!

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Now Sen. Lieberman (I-CT) is making a big deal out of Gen. Petraeus’ predicted troop withdrawls and wondering why all of the Congresscritters aren’t thanking the General for this really good news.

He asked Crocker if the Iranians are in any way responding to our diplomatic efforts to keep them from arming and supporting terrorists in Iraq? Crocker said “Nada, nothing, zip! They’re still supporting/exporting terrorism.”

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Sen Jeff Sessions (R-AL) wants his colleagues to stop being a*holes.

In response to questioning about counter-insurgency and “the book” that the Gen wrote, Petraeus explained what a big job the surge is and how complicated all the pieces are. Sessions is doing a great job asking questions that prompt really good, non-biased answers.

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You suck worse than anything that has sucked before!

Screw you and the ugly horse you rode in on!

How dare you defame and disrespect our military with such blatant lies and naked hate?

I’m watching Gen. Petraeus and the witch hunt on C-Span3 right now and the demonuts on the committee are acting in the most egregious manner possible.

What a bunch of F***ing Traitors!!!!!! I wish the General could whip out his security team and instruct them to take out the whole lot!

Rep. Lantos (D-CA) “General this isn’t meant to besmirch you, but … you suck! You just do what the President says and we all know how stoopid he is. Maliki sucks, the war sucks, all is lost!”

Old fart, YOU need to retire and go spend your time at the beach! The American people believe in Petraeus and in our Military and in the MISSION! So, STFU!!! doofus
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HOORAY! Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) comes to the rescue!!!!! Says the DimBulbs have been attacking the General’s credibility and the treasonous ad by MoveOn.Al calling Petraeus a traitor. Says the dems are idiots and outrageous.

Unbelievable! Hunter is even sticking up for L. Paul Bremmer and letting the Iraqi Army disolve itself back in ‘03. ‘Bout time somebody told why that was so important. Says the Army would have been a disaster if we left 11,000 Suni generals in place.
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1:30pm EST- brief interlude while the mics are fixed. probably due to MoveOn.Al virus.
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Now General Petraeus is speaking. “Tribal rejection of al-Quida in Anbar is spreading to other areas. We can begin troup drawdowns if this trend continues.”

“The surge is working and we have more than just ‘gut feelings’ to prove it” They are using statistical methodology that has been approved by 2 U.S. intelligence agencies and the data is gathered from not just U.S. Military, but Iraqi sources as well. Living and working within the Iraqi communities has made a huge difference. Ethnocentric violence has declined precipitously. Locals are increasingly participating with the coalition in turning in al-Quida and taking the initiative to locate and report weapons caches.

Locals are increasingly volunteering for the police and Army. Salah al Din and Ninewah provinces have been tough, but are showing declines in violence recently.

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1:44pm EST - Another MoveOn.Al/CodePink demonstration in the chamber…
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Gen. Petraeus “The most significant thing to happen is the participation by local citizens and tribal leaders in Al Anbar to partner with the coalition and rejection of the extremists. “ Take that Schmucky Schumer!

Gen P “Don’t rush to failure!” - he looked at the commitee when he said cyberspace is increasingly being used by the bad guys as a way to wage war on us. Take THAT MoveOn.Al!

Political stability can only come with security stability. Iraq wants to be our friend. Gen. P is recommending the redeployment of MEFII at the end of the month! As well as more drawdowns in the next few months.

Smart man! He’s thanking Congress for funding a bunch of stuff for the military!
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2:00pm EST - Another CodePink interruption. Beotches!

I see Gael Murphy in the audience. These witches will continue to cause disruption, but Rep./Chairman Skelton (D-MO) just blusters and won’t eject all the whores.
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Now Ryan Crocker, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq speaking. (too bad he’s got a lisp and a rather high voice…)
I’m sorry, this guy is so boring I can’t pay attention.

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Now the fun part starts. Chairman Skelton starts off by reminding us that while our sons and daughters are sweating and sacrificing, the Iraqi parliament is sitting on its collective thumbs and not doing enough on reconciliation. “Why should we (the elite in the US Congress) believe the next 6 months will be any different?”

BBWWWAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA! What the HELL have you accomplished in the last 6 months, Congressman? *asshole*

Old fart Lantos is up again. Asks Petraeus why his “token withdrawl” should be accepted when there are military critics out there that want all the troops to come home now?

Petraeus responding that his proposal is a substantial withdrawl, not a token. Don’t “rush to failure”, you old fart! What the hell are you talking about, anyway?

Lantos, “respectable media favors more substantial withdrawl” (HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!)

Petraeus “I have given you my best advice and information, I don’t know where you are getting your information, Congressman” Basically telling him (Lantos) he’s an idiot!

Lantos then asks Amb. Crocker why that Cowboy Bush won’t surrender to the Iranians? Then brings up the widely misreported statement by Maliki that he can “find other friends” if the US leaves.

Crocker says that Maliki said today that Iraq needs the coalition to stay.

Now Rep Spratt (D-SC) is complaining about $$. Says that “everything hinges on National Reconciliation”. (since when? This is just the latest Democrat benchmark!)
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Rep. Saxton (R-NJ) is interrupted by CodePink whores after he held up a copy of the NYSlimes with the MoveOn.Al anti-Petraeus ad.
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I had to go back to work. Sometimes it sucks being a conservative who believes in making her own living and not being a blood-sucking leftard mooching off the government and sitting all day in a hearing chamber making a fool of oneself. Eh, Gael?

I don’t know how them boys do it,… but they’s doin’ it agin!

This time they’re promoting all of the Military themed Charities and giving away $2000 to the one that gets the most votes from us, the public. First, the site is accepting nominations for charities, then beginning Aug. 5th we get to vote for the winner. You need to be a member of VAJoe.com to nominate or vote, but it’s free and you get to participate in the forums. So, get to it!

Today I nominated America’s Wounded Heroes! It’s a charity created by Sgt. Joshua and Mike Sparling.

I don’t mean our brave troops who have given all for our Nation, but the number of islamofacist scumbags who we’ve sent to Allah.

< ?php if (function_exists('dead_badguys')) dead_badguys();
else include_once("t_kills.php");
?>

The little graphic shows the number of confirmed kills since al-Zarqawi assumed room temperature June 7, 2006. I garnered these numbers from official news releases from Iraq and Afghanistan, with some reports coming from other sources such as AP and Reuters. They DO NOT represent the actual number of nutjobs who have “vanished in a hail of lead and shrapnel.” Unfortunately, the reports of terrorist deaths are almost non-existent on purpose.

There is a very good article that is part of the Citizens Report on Iraq produced by members of FreeRepublic.com in which Prof. Larry Schweikart explains the lack of reportage and also extrapolates from various sources that the real number is somewhere above 150,000 since the beginning of the war. See the .pdf file and look for his article starting on page 56.

What is different today is that more and more numbers are actually being reported since the “surge” strategy started. There was a real drought since the beginning of the year, but the numbers are rising rapidly now. OORAH!

If you’d like to see where the reports are, look here.

This is one of the awesome banners from out front of Walter Reed that FReepers set up on Friday nights.