Let me start off by saying that I am going to piss some of you off with the opinion you are about to read! But I am SICK and TIRED of people NOT understanding what the word “MILITARY” means.
An article from the Washington Post titled “For soldiers, single motherhood becomes another battlefield” brings up the question of single parents in the military. Now I understand that there are many people that want to serve their country, but not all should. Heck, I tried at the age of 42 but my body did not cooperate and I chose to come home. I felt, even though the Army was willing to do what it took to help me over come the problems in my lower back and hips, that it was better for my fellow soldiers for me to stay home and give them all the support I can, than to be the weak link. And that is what I felt I would be. If you can not perform the duties required to the fullest, whether physically or mentally, then you are just putting the people around you at risk.
I don’t care if you are single, married, a single parent, or a married parent, when you sign on the line to join the Military, you should know that one day you could be sent into battle and have to leave your children behind. If you have children, then you need to weight the responsibilities as a parent against those of being in the military. What is best for you and what you feel you and your family can deal with may not be what is best for your career in the military. I am NOT saying that all military personnel should be single, many make it work. Yes, it is hard on the whole family, I don’t deny that, BUT, what do you think the military is and does?
I get so tired of people that say they joined the military to get out of this or that, or to get a “free” education. It isn’t free! That “free” education or “free” ticket out of the situation you are in could be paid for with your life. To me that is very expensive! If you are not willing to lay your life down for this Country, DO NOT JOIN THE MILITARY! It is that plain and simple.
Yes, the military still has many things that it needs to work out where women are concerned, health care and women in a combat MOS are just two. But as the article, “G.I. Jane Breaks the Combat Barrier” that they reference from “The New Your Times”, many women are honorably proving that they can handle “the shit” just as well as many men that they stand beside in battle. So how can it be any different for a single mother in the military then a single father? Just a few years ago a friend of mine that was in the Navy, retired because he and his wife divorced, and he got custody of their children. Feeling that it was better for him and his boys, he gave up a military career that he dearly loved. I respect his decision, I am saddened by it, but respect it. He was, and still is to me, a great Sailor! And look at CJ and the battles he has gone through over the last year. He is still in the Army AND doing his duty as a parent. Yes, it has cost him greatly, but apparently he was willing to make that sacrifice for the things he believes in, the Army and being a Dad.
Many years ago during WWII, my grandmother was in the Army. First she was a flight instructor and then a darkroom tech. When she became pregnant with my mom, she was released from the Army with a dishonorable discharge.There was no debate about it and she had no choice. Today, women can stay in the military when they become pregnant whether they are married or not. That is a great thing! We have come a long way in the last 60 to 70 years. But to sit there and refuse to deploy when you have known for months that it is going to happen is inexcusable. I understand in the case of Spec. Alexis Hutchinson that her mother was supposed to take care of her son, but she was offered other help and refused it.
Now granted I don’t know all the regulations and maybe CJ and Marcus over on “A Soldier’s Perspective” can help me with this, but can’t a person get out of the military siting hardship, without getting a “other-than-honorable” discharge? According to the story, Hutchinson choose the”other-than-honorable” discharge because she could get on with her life and would not have to face court-martial or possible jail time. In a way, I can understand that decision and sympathize with her. But I have many questions that these articles do not answer. Did she exhaust every means possible to delay her deployment and find other arrangements? Is there not any other family? And what about the offer of help that she did get and refused? Why did she refuse it? What were the conditions of it? There are a lot of unanswered questions. I believe that MSM has yet again taken a story and reported only half of it to, once again, make the military out to be a bunch of cold-hearted bastards!
DORGAN: ARMY DECISION TO DENY MILLIONS IN BONUSES TO CONTRACTOR KBR IS
“RIGHT CALL,” BUT ONLY A “FIRST STEP”
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) — U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND), who chaired Senate hearings on electrocutions of soldiers in Iraq resulting from shoddy contracting work by KBR, said Thursday the Army’s decision to deny million of dollars in bonuses to the firm for its 2008 work in Iraq “is the right call, but it is only a first step.”
Dorgan chaired two Senate Democratic Policy Committee (DPC) hearings in 2008 and 2009 on KBR’s shoddy electrical work in Iraq. The hearings revealed widespread problems with KBR’s electrical work there including countless electrical shocks including one that killed Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth, and perhaps others, and injured dozens more on their own bases as they showered and engaged in other routine activities.
Following the hearings, Dorgan and Senator Robert Casey (D-PA) wrote the Army asking that it review KBR’s work and the electrocution death of Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth. They also asked the Army to re-evaluate the millions of dollars in bonuses it has routinely awarded KBR for supposedly excellent work, even when the Army’s own evidence made clear it was highly questionable.
The Army’s investigation of Maseth’s January 2008 death found that KBR’s work exposed soldiers to “unacceptable risk.” A theatre-wide safety review that resulted from the Dorgan-Casey request — Task Force SAFE — also found widespread problems with KBR’s electrical work that exposed soldiers to life threatening risks.
“The decision to deny KBR millions in bonuses for its work in 2008 is welcome news, and is a significant change from the Army’s past practice, but the Army clearly needs go much further,” Dorgan said. “Specifically, it needs to review the $34 million bonus and other bonuses it awarded KBR for shoddy work that may have contributed to other electrocution deaths and other serious electrical shocks.”
Dorgan said the Army’s decision “will send a long overdue message to military contractors that they will be held accountable for their performance. But the Army needs to send that message much more powerfully. Not awarding a bonus for widespread sloppy contracting work that killed soldiers is just the beginning, not the end point, of accountability.”
Dorgan has chaired 21 Senate DPC hearings on waste, fraud and corruption in military contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2003. Evidence at those hearings he said, “has been overwhelming that KBR’s work was shoddy and put the lives of U.S. soldiers at risk. KBR’s electrical workers were often unqualified, poorly trained and poorly supervised. When questions were raised, they simply denied there was a problem and proceeded with the same shoddy business as usual.”
America is proud of those who have had the courage and made the sacrifices to serve in the United States Military. Unfortunately, as we know all too well, many veterans today still deal with mental and physical disorders as a result of their military service. These diseases range from mild to extreme and some are better known than others. One example of a lesser-known ailment that veterans encounter is related to toxic exposures. During the course of all United States conflict, and even in peacetime, military servicemen and women have often been exposed to harmful substances. One of the more common toxins that still affect veterans even today is asbestos.
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral with a stringy consistency. Even ancient civilizations found that asbestos possessed an exceptional capability to prevent temperature transfer and the capability to insulate. By the time WWII and the Vietnam War came around, asbestos was being used in thousands of manufacturing compounds. Among the more mainstream uses of asbestos was within military infrastructure. Asbestos was used in thousands of different products encountered every day by military servicemen and women. Asbestos could be found in naval ships and shipyards, aircraft constructions, and nearly any compound that required a resistance to heat and fire. Products such as attic and piping insulation, drywall compound, floor and ceiling tiles, air cell pipe covering, caulking, plastics, joint compound and even some brands of glue contained asbestos.
In the late 1970s, certified scientific evidence began to surface regarding the health hazards of asbestos exposure. Asbestos fibers are microscopic, but extremely resilient. When asbestos fibers are inhaled, they “cling” to internal tissue [known as the mesothelium] which surrounds the lungs and abdominal cavity. Over time, these fibers irritate the mesothelium, sometimes causing plaques to form on the surface of this tissue, which often causes respiratory and other problems. Even more harmful is that these plaques can eventually become malignant. It is at this point that an individual may receive a diagnosis of the rare and aggressive cancer mesothelioma.
Unfortunately, it was not until after many naval and other military personnel were exposed to asbestos that the truth of its potential danger surfaced. Symptoms of asbestos-related illness may not manifest for 20-50 years following exposure, making the symptoms difficult to relate to asbestos exposure, which likely occurred many years before.
If you or a loved one knowingly worked with asbestos, you should closely monitor your respiratory wellbeing and consult a medical doctor that is familiar with the diagnosis and treatment of asbestos-related diseases. Early detection of asbestos health disorders can help doctors in identifying the best possible mesothelioma treatment options for you.
In terms of mesothelioma cancer and the military, the rates of mesothelioma navy cases remain the highest, but veterans from all branches are at risk.
For more information, please contact Doug Karr, Veteran Advocate & Outreach Coordinator, at dkarr [at] maacenter [dot] org.
Lindy Kyzer, a Public Affairs Specialist, with the Online and Social Media Division of the Army, posted a “Message to Milbloggers” a couple of days ago on the ‘Army Live’ blog. This is the official blog of the US Army. The message is in response to the milblog world going “silent” in support of CJ Grisham.
She starts by making this statement:
As a huge fan of milblogs – personally and professionally – I do my best to keep up with issues in the milblogosphere. And to be honest, I have to say I wasn’t aware of huge issues among our bloggers. There has been at least one high profile case, but I haven’t been on the grapevine of information about widespread shut downs of military blogs. From my foxhole, I meet new commanders and leaders in our Army every day who openly embrace milblogging in the ranks. Gone are the days when LTG William Caldwell was one of the few champions of engaging the blogosphere. These days everyone from the Secretary of the Army to battalion and brigade commanders across the field aren’t just supportive of blogging – many of them are blogging themselves.
I absolutely admit that there are still areas, and leaders, where blogging in the ranks is not met with open arms. And most of the issues milbloggers have are with their local command, not a headquarters Army action item. We consider our left and right boundaries when it comes to social media engagement and blogging to be the Uniform Code of Justice and Operations Security. Contrary to some opinion, you don’t avoid UCMJ responsibility when you log into the Internet – you’re responsible for maintaining military standards and decorum even online.
And commanders remain free to set localized policy when it comes to social media use by their Soldiers. That doesn’t mean a Soldier’s right to free speech is lost, but it does mean that we hold our military to a higher standard.
OK, I can understand that we hold our military personnel to a higher standard and that some of the local command may be a little slow on embracing the new medium. But what gets me, even though “this isn’t official Army policy or regulation” is the “tips and tricks” she offers.
1. Consider a pseudonym. I know many of you may consider this sacrilegious in this new era of transparency. But if you want to be free to gripe and moan to your heart’s content, if may save you some trouble. Pen names have existed for a long time and they open up artistic freedom, especially for a Soldier. I concur with those who view pen names as a hindrance to authenticity. But I think too many discard the idea without giving it full consideration.
2. Little brother is watching. The military, more so than any other job or place of employment, creates a sense of family. And we all know how the family gets over Christmas when Uncle Bob has had a few too many glasses of eggnog. If you’re a Soldier in our Army – or an Army Civilian – you have to consider how what you write will be looked at by not just your commander, but those in the ranks underneath you, as well. If Private Johnny notes that you just wrote a scathing post about some military issue or that you’re writing things about your personal life that will make it difficult to see you in a professional light, think twice. If the military is a family, try to be sensitive (but not too sensitive – this is the Army, after all) to the feelings of those serving alongside you.
3. Don’t get political. I love politics. But I came to the understanding that when I took a position with the Army, as a government civilian, I needed to avoid too much political speech in my professional interactions – to include posts on my Facebook wall and tweets I send from my personal account. It doesn’t mean I don’t occasionally slip up and let my political leanings show, but it does mean that I’m not going to write any scathing reviews or political statements. It just makes my life simpler.
4. Don’t diss the boss. We’ve probably all read the stories by now of individuals who have lost their jobs because of a Facebook status update or blog post that did not reflect well on their supervisor. It’s just better for our job security that we don’t talk negatively about our boss or other coworkers online. In the military, it’s not just a good idea, it’s crucial to the proper operating of the chain of command.
Now tell me how a soldier can truly have freedom of speech if they follow these “tips and tricks”? I know not everyone is going to agree with the statements I am about to make, this is just my opinion, and a citizen of these United States, I have the right to voice my opinion.
Since active duty bloggers that are over seas have to inform their command that they have a blog, and what the web address is, using a “pseudonym” would be useless. If the command watches over the blogs of the soldiers under them, then they know who is who! Once it is registered with the command, does it go into that soldier’s file? If so, then every command after that will know that this soldier has a blog and where to find it.
To a point I do agree with writing like ‘little brother is watching‘. There are ways to question a policy without making it sound to “scathing”. But what about the advice of “writing things about your personal life that will make it difficult to see you in a professional light”? What does that mean? What may be offensive to one person may not be to another. I understand there has to be a balance between the personal and professional, but does anyone really know where that line is. Being big brothers and sisters, as with being in command, one should lead by example. If you have honor and courage in you heart and personal life, would that not be an inspiration to all who read your blog?
Ms Kyzer’s opinion on “Don’t get political” may make “life simpler“, but tell me something. If you wanted a simple life, would you have joined the military? If you are willing to lay your life down for this Country and the freedoms it hold dear, should you not be allowed to enjoy those freedoms as well? Yes, there are probably some situations in the military, that to be able to command your subordinates, you should keep your personal opinions to yourself. But are military personnel expected to NEVER have an opinion? Are they expected to keep their mouths shut if their opinion differs from the mainstream? I know that with signing up for the military you agree to protect our country from threats, foreign and domestic, and are expected to follow orders. But do you loose your right to voice your opinion? It seems to me that as long as you agree with the higher-ups and the policy, you are free to blog to your hearts content. But the moment you disagree with them, then “it might be better if you keep that to yourself”.
And last but not least, the comment of “don’t diss the boss“. She is right about that one, to a certain extent. When the big boss is the President of the United States I believe there is a catch 22. Yes, if you are in the military the President is your boss, but do you give up your rights a United States citizen when you join the military? As long as you are not forcing your opinion on your subordinates while on the job, are you not entitled to your opinion? Maybe that is where you should use a “pseudonym” and act like you have another author to your blog. But would that still not bring down the mountain on your head if your command read it? Would they not demand that you kick that author off the blog? What about going to far as to create 2 blogs, one as yourself that kisses the ass of the main stream and one that you use with a “pseudonym” and is in your face? It wouldn’t take much digging with the tools in place now days for “them” to find out who is really running the blog. Would the punishment not be more sever then?
I have lots of questions in reguards to Ms Kyzer’s comment and since I am not in the military maybe I am missing out on some rule some where. But to me, her “advice” lacks something. It doesn’t address the injustice that CJ suffered when in the role of “parent”, he was discriminated against. This discrimination was not just by the school and the PTA, but by his command. Grisham’s service should have never been an issue in the PTA meeting. The police should have NEVER been called! And his command should have listened to the complainants and then asked the question, “Was Grisham acting on behalf of the Army, or as a parent?”
If this kind of injustice and discrimination is the norm, then I would recommend that military service personal NOT have children, don’t have a life out side the military, heck, don’t even fall in love and get married! If you do, someone in the civilian world may not like it and go to your command. If that happens you can kiss you military career goodbye, because they will not stand up for you!
A few days ago I made a post in comment to “A Soldier’s Perspective” and the controversy that has been brewing with the Huntsville Schools, the PTA and the Army. Today, the milbloging community is going silent in support of CJ Grisham. Though I did time in Iraq as a civilian contractor truck driver and have never been in the military, two years ago CJ invited me to join the family on “A Soldier’s Perspective” and be a co-author.
As part of that family I too will join the protest of silence by many milblogers.
As much time as I spent over there, I hate to think about how many times I drove through the smoke from so many burn pits. But as of today, I believe that I was one of the lucky ones and have not contracted any illness from it. My prayers to all those suffering from this.
Open burning has since been banned but many may face long-term effects.
Backing away from steadfast official denial, the U.S. military’s senior health protection official said Monday that some service m embers might suffer long-term medical problems as a direct result of exposure to smoke and fumes from open-air burn pits scattered throughout Iraq and Afghanistan.
Physician Craig Postlewaite, director of Force Health Protection and Readiness Programs, said that while scientific evidence has yet to prove the link, the personal stories of veterans coming forward to report long-term health problems have convinced him of the connection.
“We feel at this point in time that it’s quite plausible — in fact likely — that there are a small number of people that have been affected with longer-term health problems,” Postlewaite said Monday in an interview with The Salt Lake Tribune.
As recently as last month, Postlewaite had maintained the Defense Department’s years-old position on the issue, telling Stars and Stripes that “only minor, temporary effects have been identified with the burn pit smoke.” In July he told the Military Times that an assessment of the burn pit at the largest U.S. facility in Iraq, Joint Air
Base Balad, found “no indication of any long-term health risks in personnel.”
It was the sight and smell of the Balad pit that led an environmental engineer from Hill Air Force Base to write a memo calling the acres-large inferno “an acute health hazard.”
In the memo, Air Force officer Darrin Curtis warned that dozens of toxins, including arsenic, formaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide, were going up in smoke at the Balad pit. U.S. service members and contractors were burning hundreds of tons of weapons, chemicals, plastics — and even amputated limbs from the nearby theater hospital — each week.
Curtis’ memo set off widespread speculation that smoke from the Balad pit, and possibly others, was to blame for myriad health problems faced by returning veterans. But Curtis, who has since separated from the Air Force, told The Tribune he didn’t intend to be a whistleblower — he only wanted to help loosen the bureaucratic purse strings holding back money for a long-promised incinerator.
“It wasn’t one of those ‘God and country’ things,” Curtis said. “I wasn’t trying to sacrifice myself. It was 2006. We’d gotten there in 2003. It had been forever and these things weren’t getting fixed. My understanding was that there were different allowances for money depending on whether something was a health issue or wasn’t a health issue, and I wrote the memo just so that everyone would know it was a health issue.”
I lost touch last year with Josh but before that had talked with him several times. In November we reconnected a few weeks before he appeared on Huckabee. I urge you to go to “To The Fallen Records” to find more of Josh’s music.
As for anything else to say, I believe the song says it all.
As many of you know, I have been a co-author on “A Soldier’s Perspective” for a couple of years now. I have a great respect for CJ, Marcus and everyone there. Those of you that have been following the blog lately know of CJ’s fight with the Huntsville Schools PTA and the Army. Today all four Military Times Publications (Army Times, Air Force Times, Marine Times, Navy Times) dedicated their lead story in the “Off Duty” section to CJ and the injustice has he has suffered.
Troy, a good friend of the blog, has posted the full article along with pictures to his Bouhammer blog. Please go read the article.
While you are in the mood for reading also check out what Marcus has to say in his own post “Sir, Let Me Tell Our Story” on “A Soldier’s Perspective”.
Every year, Beliefnet.com, the leading website for inspiration, nominates 10 people from all walks of life whose selfless actions made a major impact on their communities, the nation, and in some cases, the world.
This year’s nominees include Air Force Major Tobin Griffeth and Captain Katie Illingworth serving at Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan, who turned their football rivalry—between the University of Texas Longhorns and the University of Oklahoma Sooners—into Operation Red River Cares, a charity drive that supplies warm clothes, shoes and school supplies for suffering Afghans.
We hope you’ll encourage folks to vote for Maj. Griffeth and Capt. Illingworth by visiting http://www.beliefnet.com/mostinspiringperson, where they can vote once daily for the nominee whose story inspires them the most.
Green Beans Coffee has started a campaign to give free coffee to our Troops serving abroad. With a $2 donation from the public they will send any Soldier, Sailor, Marine or Airman, a coupon for a free cup of coffee.
In our travels to see the Troops, many share with us their sense of loneliness, isolation and feelings of being forgotten. Their commanders tell us that some Soldiers never receive mail from home. In response, Green Beans Coffee has launched Cup of Joe For A Joe to let anyone, anywhere in the world, say thanks to our troops through the simple act of buying a cup of coffee and having it delivered along with their own personal note of encouragement into the hands of a deployed Soldier.
What a great way for us to show our Troops that they are loved, respected, honored and NOT forgotten while so far away from home. To send a “cup of Joe” go to “SEND A CUP OF JOE“.
If you are a Soldier and want to sign up to receive a “cup of Joe” go to “SOLDIER CUP OF JOE SIGNUP”
This program is restricted to active duty Armed Services Personnel deployed in support of OEF or OIF. Make sure you have an email address other than a government or military email address.
