Tanker Brothers POV: The Long War

The Long War is the defining moment of my generation. The outcome of this conflict will be felt more than a hundred years from now.

Al-Qaeda recognizes two important things about the United States:

(1) 80% of the Nation is fickle, lacks any attention span, lacks the tenacity to commit to a conflict that claims American lives (and demands a withdrawal once their delusions of invulnerability are threatened), and are so self-absorbed in their own materialistic decadence and wrapped up in self-loathing as to present any real threat to thier campaign of terror worldwide.

(2) the leftover 20% doesn't take sh1t from Muslim Terrorists, the UN, the Anti-War Crazies, Germany, France, Iran, the other 80%, or anyone else that doesn't uphold the Judeo-Christian values this Nation was founded on.

Now take a wild guess which of those two groups present a threat to Al-Qaeda?

The Tanker Brothers have been on the Front Lines of this conflict, and we're gearing up to go back, soon. Since I've been back from my first tour in Iraq, I've noticed something that literally makes my heart sink everytime I think of it: that my country is slowly dying. I can't believe that this once-proud nation of patriots who united against the armies of tyranny in WWII, and launched a collective effort as a Nation to band together and do everything possible to secure victory. I can't believe that this nation can stand by and watch hundreds of Iraqi people, struggling to get a foothold in thier climb towards a free democracy, be targeted with suicide attacks by a shadowy enemy who lacks the balls to go toe-to-toe with US Soldiers. I honestly cannot believe that every time we launch an aggressive campaign to root out and kill or capture terrorists who launch those same cowardly attacks, we - the United States Military - are attacked by those who have never known what it's like to truly sacrifice for their country.

And then there are those who should set an example, men who should be our champions back home, men who have put on the uniform and worn it in war... we have them call us Murderers, Cold Blooded Killers, and Terrorists. All without Due Process of Law.

If you're one of the 20%...Thanks for having our backs. What we do...we do for you.

If you're one of the 80%: we do it for you, too...but we don't have to like it. We just have to.

America, listen closely: Al-Qaeda wants to kill you. They hate you, and your way of life. The qualities that the 80% embody: is what they hate most about us. They hate fickle. They hate scared. They hate decadence. They hate your lack of commitment. They hate your godlessness. They hate you for being weak and self-absorbed. And they recognize these things as your greatest weaknesses, and they will work day in and day out to exploit those weaknesses and use them against you.

And all that's standing between you and Al-Qaeda is us.

Remember that.

I leave you with this, America: we're in a War. It's a Long War. It's a War that will be either our greatest victory, or our greatest defeat. The War we fight today, this Long War, will define who we are as a nation, and what our place will be on the world stage for generations to come. The future of Western Civilization rests on the outcome of this conflict.

And we'd really like to have you on our side.

Tags For This Post: War On Terror, Long War, Al Qaeda, Kerry, Murtha, Iraq, America

I Know, I Know...

...I haven't been posting very often lately.

I'm not one to make excuses, but Cav Tanker is out of town on a Training Mission, and I've been swamped at work.

I haven't forgotten y'all, though, my Tanker Brothers and Sisters!

To be honest, the past few days, I've really done a re-evaluation of my stance on all of the issues I care about, and I have re-affirmed my positions. The whole Illegal Immigration Swindle of 2006 really left me disillusioned with the Republican Party and our outlook (as Americans) for the future.

That being said, I'm going to take the next seven days and read y'all in on how we here at the Tanker Brothers feel about the things we care about. The goal is to give you a better idea of who we are, and why we're the way we, well... are.

Some posts will be nothing more than ideas, others will be more policy-oriented. But I promise you that I will put everything I have into each and every one of them. If you want to zero in on those posts specifically, they will be preceeded in the title by "Tanker Brothers POV:"

I am doing this for a couple of reasons. First, I've been in a "writing rut" lately, and I want to do something to snap out of it. Second, I want to mix things up a little and take a different approach to how I write.

If, after a few of the "POV" posts, you think "Dude, time for an Azimuth Check!"...let me know. Drop a comment at the tail end of the post, or shoot me an email, and I'll change it up. remember, we appreciate your comments, and we appreciate your suggestions.

One last thing: Philologous , The Oracle, and the Tanker Brothers (yeah, that's us) have started an alliance aimed at showing the uninformed out there that you can be Hispanic and Conservative. Too many people up on Capitol Hill (yeah, I'm talking about the Democrats) take Hispanics for granted.

Philologous, The Oracle, and I are going to do our damnedest to change that perception. Check out ¡Reconquista Nó!, and tell 'em the Tanker Brothers sent'cha.

[And Jose in McAllen, TX: The invitation is still open. We'd be proud to have you on board...]

Tags For This Post: Philologous, Red Sky, Reconquista Nó, Rut, Blogging, Apology, Azimuth Check

Caught Between A Rock And A Hard Place...

Why do I feel like my country is being held hostage?

As if we didn't have enough to fend off, with CAIR, the ACLU, the Liberal Anti-War Left...and now we have to deal with our own Republicans.

Let me say this: I have always voted Republican. I can't remember when I ever voted for a Democrat, or a Third party. That being said, consider this:

Our Senate Republicans have screwed us. They know that they have a free hand with the Immigration issue, and there's nothing we can do about it. They know that we can't possibly vote against them, since a Democrat-controlled Senate would be a disaster. They know that we can't vote against them because they are tough on the War on Terror, and that's the trump issue in our country.

If we protest by voting against the Republicans, then the Democrats will take the Senate. If we vote for a Third-Party candidate, then we'll cut the Republican base in half, and the Dems will win control of the Senate... and you can kiss the War on Terror goodbye.

So we really have no choice, except to take it right square in the fourth point of contact.

This feeling of helplessness is not something I'm used to. To tell you the truth, I have no idea what to do.

John McCain is one of the strongest advocates for the US Military in the US Senate. But he's weak, flat-out wrong, on Immigration. Both issues are far-reaching, and could change our way of life as Americans.

So I'm torn; do I support him? Or do I support someone else?

The War on Terror is a righteous War. We fight for security and the future of our children to live and worship as they please, free from fear of those who believe something different from what they hold dear.

My son is fourteen months old. Sometimes, when he falls asleep in my arms, I look at him and wonder what the future holds for him. Will he be forced into bilingual education, because our "leaders" didn't have the testicular fortitude to stand up for the concept of a Nation of Laws? Will he someday have to practice his faith in secret, because Christianity and the morals and beliefs it encompasses have fallen out of favor with the rest of the politically-correct world? Will his children live in fear that a terrorist will attack them in a Shopping Mall or Baseball game?

No matter how wrong our Republican Senators are, though, we have to see them as the lesser of two evils. No matter what, we have to consider the alternative, and the horrors the future a Democrat-controlled government would present.

I'm saddend that the people I believed in, the Party that I believed in, has come to this: the lesser of two evils. What are your suggestions? What should Red-State Republicans who still believe in The Platform do?

Remeber Newt Gingrich and the Contract with America?

Robot Warriors: Iraq

From Engadget:

Soldiers bond with bots on battlefield Posted May 25th 2006 8:35PM by Donald Melanson Filed under: Robots They may not be as cuddly as RI-MAN or as human-like as EveR-1, but Reuters is reporting that soldiers in Iraq have nonetheless formed strong bonds with their battlefield bots, giving them names and grieving when they meet an unfortunate end. When one bomb defusing PackBot from Roomba-maker iRobot named "Scooby Doo" was blown up after 35 successful missions, the bot's operator asked of iRobot, "Please fix Scooby Doo, because he saved my life."Of course, humans forming meaningful emotional attachments to their robot companions and servants is by no means unusual; studies have shown robo-pets to be as therapeutic as the real thing, and bots like Paro the seal have been helping patients in nursing facilities for years now (and are even crossing over to starring in movies). Still, if there's one kind of robot we'd want to stay away from as the robot-revolution looms near, it's that kind designed for military use. Ruh roh, Raggy.

Damn Peaceniks.... Why can't they just let the Tanker Brothers enjoy thier "RoboSoldier" story without the touchy-feely anti-military slap at the end?

Oh, well...

Secretary Rumsfeld Delivers Memorial Day Message

"On this Memorial Day, we again pause to remember and to honor those who dedicated their lives to the service of others.

"From the first citizen soldiers who stood fast to defend their homes at Lexington and Concord, to the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines securing our liberty and our way of life today, our country has been truly blessed by those who stepped forward to say, "send me."

"Theirs is a noble calling that founded a nation, drove back the forces of Fascism, Communism, and terrorism, and made historic advances in the cause of human freedom.

"Their service strengthens our will to persevere through every challenge. They remind us of what it means to be an American.

"So to all of those serving our country today, know that we are deeply grateful to you and to your families. May God bless you. And May God bless our wonderful country.'

Donald Rumsfeld
Secretary of Defense

To Lighten The Mood...

I knew Gas in Germany was expensive, but this may be taking it a bit too far...

BERLIN (Reuters) - A German woman left her friend as a deposit at a gas station because she did not have enough cash to pay for her petrol, police said Wednesday. "She didn't have enough money to pay the bill, so her friend stayed behind as a human deposit while she went to withdraw cash," said a spokesman for police in the southern town of Muenchberg. "Unfortunately, the woman did not return." Two hours after the 20-year-old driver left, the gas station called the police, who interrogated the stranded "deposit" before releasing her. Police are investigating the driver on suspicion of fraud.

You have to admit...that's funny.

Only in Germany, I guess...

Afghanis, Coalition Bring The Pain To The Taliban: Possibly Capture Bigwig

Yeah...this just in from Fox News:

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — U.S.-led coalition forces captured a militant fighter with only one leg in a battle this week in southern Afghanistan, and it was possible he could be a top Taliban leader, an Afghan general said Friday. There is a "good chance" that the militant, captured in a joint Afghan-coalition operation in Kandahar province on Wednesday, is Mullah Dadullah, said Gen. Rehmatullah Raufi, head of the Afghan military's southern region. Dadullah, who lost a leg fighting for the Taliban during its rise to power in the mid-1990s, is one of the hard-line militia's top commanders, responsible for operations in eastern and southeastern Afghanistan.

Waitasec... was that guy's name "Mullah Dadullah"?

No, really...was it?

C'mon... I'm being serious. His name was actually "Mullah Dadullah"?

Lemme say it slow: "Moo-Lah  Dahd-oooo-Lah"

I don't know what's funnier: (1) a guy named "Moo-Lah  Dahd-oooo-Lah", (2) a one-legged man named "Moo-Lah  Dahd-oooo-Lah", or (3) a one-legged man named "Moo-Lah  Dahd-oooo-Lah" that's actually in charge of people!

"Moo-Lah  Dahd-oooo-Lah"... now THAT's funny! He's gonna get a lot of attention at Club Gitmo!

"Religion Of Peace," MY ASS!

Okay, CAIR. I'm interested in how you feel about this issue.

Human rights groups are raising alarms over a new law passed by the Iranian parliament that would require the country's Jews and Christians to wear coloured badges to identify them and other religious minorities as non-Muslims. "This is reminiscent of the Holocaust," said Rabbi Marvin Hier, the dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles. "Iran is moving closer and closer to the ideology of the Nazis." Iranian expatriates living in Canada yesterday confirmed reports that the Iranian parliament, called the Islamic Majlis, passed a law this week setting a dress code for all Iranians, requiring them to wear almost identical "standard Islamic garments." The law, which must still be approved by Iran's "Supreme Guide" Ali Khamenehi before being put into effect, also establishes special insignia to be worn by non-Muslims. Iran's roughly 25,000 Jews would have to sew a yellow strip of cloth on the front of their clothes, while Christians would wear red badges and Zoroastrians would be forced to wear blue cloth.

I seem to recall, in the last century, there was a group of people that made Jews wear Yellow Stars on their clothing. And their leader was the most evil man of the entire 20th Century, quite possibly in all of human history. And he was responsible for the deaths of millions and millions of people.

Oh...waitasec. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says that stuff never happened.

(Can we PLEASE go invade these people now?)

This Is Cool!

We're #8 in Google if you search for:

" Soldiers In The War On Terror"

Cool, Huh?

Not War On Terror Related:

But DAMN! You've gotta admit...the kid is a "Chip Off The Ol' Block"...

And that shirt is just too cool!

My Son's Blog

The Right Strikes Back!

Always on the lookout for Right-Wingers like us that actually stand up for what we believe in...imagine how my heart warmed up when I got this:

Hi Tanker Brothers, Here's a link to some pictures my friend took while she was counterprotesting Cindy Sheehan and Code Pink's media stunt outside Donald Rumsfeld's house this afternoon. Warning, some of the pinkos are really ugly! -LandryFan http://landrys-life-blog.blogspot.com

...I'm speechless.

See? It's all about people like LandryFan and the FreeRepublic. Why can't the people we elect to represent us in the House of Representatives and the Senate stand up for what we believe in, too?

Anyway...enough of my posturing. The article reads:

Honor Roll for today: Mr. and Mrs. Trooprally, Cindy_True_Supporter, tgslTakoma, daughterofTgsl and kristinn. Code Pink, Cindy Sheehan, CIA turncoat Ray McGovern and approximately several dozen barking moonbats marched from the White House to the home of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld in Northwest Washington, D.C. this afternoon. Lying in wait for them were six members of the D.C. Chapter of Free Republic determined to stand up for Secretary Rumsfeld and for America. It was not a fair fight. Pinko egos were left splattered on the pavement after two hours of battle... (MORE)

THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN' ABOUT!!!!!

Click here for the photos. [Disclaimer: some of the Code Pinkos are really, really ugly - Especially Cindy Sheehan. I'm no Prince Charming myself, but...well, judge the photos for yourself]

As always, we welcome your comments... And remember: every Tanker Brother's post on Her Looneyness, Al-Jazeera's Newest Columnist, She-Who-Will-Not-Buy-Her-Dead-Son-A-Tombstone-But-Instead-Will-Buy-Herself-A-Volkswagen-Convertible, is linked to our newest buddy in the Blogosphere: The Cindy Sheehan Watch!

"Path To Citizenship"? Tanker Brothers Have A Sure-Fire Way!

You want to be a citizen of my country? Then "put up or shut up"...

On Tuesday, I had the honor of attending a swearing-in ceremony for one of my soldiers. On that day, 83 soldiers and Marines were sworn in as U.S. citizens while serving in Baghdad. The ceremony took place over on the other side of the base at the Camp Victory Chapel. All of our new citizens were seated in the pews, and for the rest of the crowd, it was standing-room only. Like other ceremonies I have discussed, this one was simple and professional: A rendition of the national anthem, a recital of the Pledge of Allegiance, the Oath and a taped message from the commander in chief. The events concluded with a rendition and video of Lee Greenwood's "Proud to Be an American." As anyone who has been in the military since 1992 knows, it is SOP [standard operating procedure] to play that song at any military function. Specialist Zaklina Cetic has been working in my company for approximately one year now. She is a native of Yugoslavia but has been serving in the United States Army for well over three years. This is her second deployment to Iraq, having served here in OIF I [Operation Iraqi Freedom I] with the First Armored Division based out of Germany. She is the first person I know who has taken the oath, and along with all the other soldiers, Marines and service members who have become citizens, I don't think there is anyone who can say they have done more to earn their citizenship. I have never seen the questionnaire that is required to apply for citizenship, but I think for some people it should be two questions long: 1. Have you ever served in the U.S. Military in a combat zone? 2. When is a good time for you to take the oath? (Read All About It HERE)

Think about it for a second:

How would this be a bad thing? You know, inviting immigrants to serve in the US Military as a "Quick Path To Citizenship"? All they would have to demonstrate is proficiency in the English language, and a desire to serve the country they "so desperately want to be a part of".

There are some great added benefits for all parties concerned.

1. If you want to send money back to Mexico...screw those $5.00 an hour jobs. Why not get a good wage while actually accomplishing something and getting a marketable skill for when your tour of duty is up?
2. Who knows? You might actually like the US Military, and secure a good career for yourself, with a generous retirement plan and a springboard to a second career after 20 years of service?
3. No more freeloading at Emergency Rooms: your health and dental care is provided by the US Military.
4. No more living in substandard housing, with 10 people to a room: Room and board would obviously be provided, and I guarantee that the accommodations are more comfortable than a detention facility.
5. US Military offers additional "Language Proficiency Pay" for Soldiers who speak/read/write a foreign language.
6. 30 Days paid vacation a year.

Now...isn't that a great idea? Or is all that talk about "making a better life", "wanting to be Americans", "hardworking", "contributing to America"; is that all crap?

Here at the Tanker Brothers...we say "Put up, or shut up".

Come on, Sen McCain, Sen Kennedy, Rep Hinojosa, etc... Why not propose a solution that would actually do this Nation some good?

Think Illegal Immigration Isn't Part Of The War On Terror?

Think again, Senator McCain.

A Mesa man has admitted in federal court that he tried to smuggle an illegal immigrant from Iran across the U.S.-Mexico border. FBI agents arrested Zeayadali Malhamdary and raided his tailor shop May 26 after an undercover investigation found he tried to obtain Mexican visas for Iranians so they could fly into Mexico and then cross the border.Malhamdary has admitted to friends he crossed the Mexico border illegally in 1998 to escape religious persecution in Iran, whose official religion is the Shiite branch of Islam. He was granted refugee status in February 1999.Under Monday's plea deal, sentencing will be up to the judge on Aug. 14 although the document does not state a particular range.Had Malhamdary been convicted at trial he could have gone to prison from five to 35 years. According to Monday's plea deal, Malhamdary admitted that around September 2004, he began negotiating with someone to bring a group of Iranian nationals to the U.S. He eventually agreed to supply authentic Iranian passports to the person, who turned out to be an undercover agent with the U.S. Border Patrol, and he would arrange to have the Mexican visas placed into the passports so the Iranians could fly into Mexico. Malhamdary admitted that he went to Iran in March 2005 and returned with three passports, which he gave to the agent.

If you'll remember, Iran is currently the country in the Middle East aiming to "wipe Israel off the map", and threatening to launch terrorist attacks against US interests in both the United States and the Middle East.

So...can someone please explain to me why aggressively securing the borders of the United States ISN'T a pressing issue?

(By the way...doesn't Sen. McCain represent Arizona in the US Senate?)

Because You Can't Appreciate The Tanker Brothers...

...Without knowing what we're all about!

Cav Tanker and I are both M1A2SEP Tankers, the cutting edge of Armored Combat in the Digital Warfighting Era.



Comments?

Why Zarqawi Is All Alone

I was lucky enough to stumble upon this article on StrategyPage.com.

The Article is suprisingly insightful: it reminds us of how futile Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi's fight really is.

...Also captured, before it showed up on an al Qaeda web site, was a video of Zarqawi, holding an American M249 light machinegun. Several of these have been lost, usually from vehicles hit by roadside bombs, and abandoned by their crews. In the video, Zarqawi pleaded for Iraqi Sunni Arabs to support him and not, as more and more Sunni Arabs are doing, the democratically elected government. Zarqawi believes, as does al Qaeda, that democracy is un-Islamic. Only God, through self-selected clerics, can run a country.

Obviously, Al-Zarqawi is not just losing the military struggle, but the more important political struggle, as well. Without the popular support of the people of Iraq - Shi'ite, Sunni, or even Kurd - Al-Zarqawi is seen as mothing more than a terrorist thug, a brigand, a pothole in the road to a free and democratic future for the people of Iraq. The article continues:

The Task Force has been so successful that, except for Zarqawi, there are no more foreigners (Saudis, Jordanians, etc) in the Iraqi al Qaeda leadership. It's all Iraqis, and these guys are proving just as vulnerable to informers as the foreigners (who stood out because of their accent and body language) were. Most Sunni Arabs are tired of all the violence, and are backing the government by passing on (and getting paid for) tips on where Zarqawi and his crew are hiding out. TF 145 almost got Zarqawi last February, and in the last six months have been hammering al Qaeda, and it's Sunni Arab supporters heavily. There are still several well armed gangs and tribal militias in the "Sunni Triangle" of central Iraq, and some of these have been persuaded to make peace with the government in order to avoid a visit from TF 145. Iraqis are big fans of American action movies. And they note that a visit from TF 145 is just like the movies, except for the real bullets, blood and dead bodies. So far, two dozen senior al Qaeda leaders have been killed or (mostly) captured, while about 200 al Qaeda leaders, who have had direct contact with Zarqawi, have been taken as well.

My question is this: why haven't the mainstream media sources covered any of this? I think that 200 terrorist leaders put out of commission is a pretty significant number, don't y'all?

What do you think? Please don't forget to leave comments!

Tags For This Post: Zarqawi, Iraq, SOCOM, Soldiers, Terrorism

Zarqawi = Little Girl

I know, I know...I'm late with this, but I think it's hilarious!

Watch big, bad Zarqawi wince like a little girl when he first pulls the trigger. I have to rewind over and over again!



(And the "I can't charge my own weapon" just goes without saying...what a moron.)

Hey, Abu Musab: You're a little beeeeyotch. 'Cause the Tanker Brothers said so.

P.S.: Say hi to your Momma.

Red Sky Brothers Post Cool Videos

Thor and the Oracle over at the Red Sky Brothers have posted some pretty sweet videos you may wanna check out.

Be advised: these videos are not work-safe. If you happen to be at work when you check them out, either have the volume turned down, or email the link and check them out at home.

There is some pretty abrasive language that our castrated liberal co-workers may take offense to.

Without further ado, the link to the Red Sky post.

[Edit: Yeah...I downloaded them to my iPod to watch over and over again...]

The Cindy Sheehan Watch Needs Help!

They're looking to identify the time and location of this photo:


If you know anything about the time or place it was taken, drop them a message HERE.

(Click the "Contact Us" link on the left sidebar.)

[EDIT: Yeah, that's Michael Frickin' Moore in the lower left, obviously contemplating his next bear claw or Krispy Kreme)

Go Bush

OK. All I have to say right now is the SOMEONE is FINALLY trying to do something about the illegal immigration.

Will he get slammed by the media? Of course.

Will Democrats claim that what he is doing is immoral and wrong? Hell yeah.

Will he, I, or any sane person who is tired of paying for the lives and welfare of OTHER people rather then our own care? Of course not.

My feelings on immigration is simple, you are welcome in this country anytime. You really are, IF you come the LEGAL and RIGHT way. YOU are not welcome if all you want when you get here is a free ride. We spend more on the welfare of immgrants then we do on Social Security and Medicare for OUR OWN elderly.

Does anyone else see a major problem with this?

So our President wants to send in 6000 National Guardsmen to our borders.
GO BUSH!

I mean, seriously, what do you think the National Guard was formed in the first place?

National = Our country
Guard = Well, if you need an explination on this one, umm...... wow.

ARE YOU F*&^%$G KIDDING ME?!?!?!?

You know, just when you think you've seen it all, Cindy Sheehan is writing for Al Jazeera.

Now we are faced with the modern carnage of the occupation of Iraq, and still there are threats of another war of aggression in Iran. The Iraq policy is fatally flawed, especially for the nearly 2500 U.S. deaths and for every one of these there has been 100 dead Iraqi civilians. We have to do something to build a peace movement that can stop blood-bathed foreign policy. We've demonstrated, written letters, sung songs, engaged in civil disobedience and traveled far and wide, engaging our fellow Americans to demand that the troops come home. Hundreds of thousands of us marched in the streets of New York City for Peace, Justice and Democracy on April 29th. What's next? What can we do now? What tools do we have left in this democracy of ours? Now is the time for the peace movement to get electoral. Americans opposed to preemptive war need to vote for what they believe in, and not vote for candidates that support war. Let's turn the majority of Americans into an electoral majority that can redirect the United States.

What in the hell is this woman thinking?

Seriously, though...click the link and read the whole article. Then, when your blood is boiling, glance over at the right sidebar of the page. Read the links to the snazzy "articles" like:

Still lying about real Iraq deaths

Cash-strapped Palestinians trapped in dark fate

Iraqis now “live like animals”

Israel’s secret death recipe: Poisonous Chocolate

What the hell is going on here? Is it any surprise that a hate-filled "person" like Cindy Sheehan would write for a hate-filled rag like Al Jazeera?

Also, look at the comments to the article: words like "Imperialist", "Zionist Regime", and "Marxist Neocon Bush"! Atta Girl, Cindy: way to select your audience, 'cause America is tired of your Anti-Semitic speech, your whacked-out conspiracy theories, and frankly...they're just tired of YOU.

Oh, by the way, Cindy: Think you could get around to buying a headstone for your son, Casey? You know, the kid who made you famous with his sacrifice?

As for you, fellow Tanker Brothers and Sisters: you HAVE checked out the Cindy Sheehan Watch...right?

Helping Soldiers: Armor4troops.org

Care packages:

Guys in Iraq and Afghanistan get them. They love them. The cookies and candy, the razors and toothbrushes, the letters and books... Soldiers love that stuff.

You wanna know what else Soldiers love?

Sundries.

That's where Armor4Troops.org comes in: they take up a collection, and buy things for Soldiers like protective eyewear, Anti-Bacterial socks, multi-tools, etc...

Please understand that without the generosity of everyone who has made a donation to the Armor 4 Troops Foundation, no matter how small, none of what we have accomplished for our American Fighting Force and protectors of our Freedoms, would have been possible. To all of you who have shown your support, we are truly grateful. As of May12, 2006, the Armor 4 Troops Foundation has delivered or shipped directly to our American troops in the field, Two Thousand Eighteen (2,018) pairs of protective anti-ballistic eyewear, in addition to the hundreds of multi-function tools, Under-Armour, anti-bacterial socks, compressed rubber boot pads and many other sundry products to improve the quality of life to our troops. We are proud to say that over 95.31% of all donations that we have received have gone towards purchasing this equipment for our American Troops. This is the highest percentage of any charitable organization in the U.S.

You don't have to make a donation, all we ask, here at the Tanker Brothers, is that you check them out.

H/T to Tanker Angel! (And check out her Blog - And for you German Readers, the Panzer Brueder Blog - She writes for both. She does great work supporting the troops, and she's a great friend.)

Azimuth Check: Back To The War On Terror

I am obviously disappointed at where the immigration debate is going. So much, in fact, that I'm going to swear off any posts about the illegal immigration crisis until Congress and the Senate get their acts together.

Remember: the whole point of this blog is to clue you in on how the Tanker Brothers feel about the War on Terror. Sometimes, we might get a little off-topic, and that requires what we fondly refer to in the Army as an "Azimuth Check". Other, non-military types may call it a "Kick in the ass".

Either way, we're coming back to our roots for a while: and the first step is undermining the Looney Anti-War Lefties!


That being said, I found a great new website: The Cindy Sheehan Watch!

Do me a favor, check it out!

Hooah!

This is a kickass video.



H/T to The Freedom Folks (Thanks, Jake!)

Tanker Brothers Get The Runaround From Congressman Hinojosa (D-TX)

After reading the Letter To The Editor in the previous post, I decided to call Congressman Hinojosa's (D-TX) office again.

This time, I called the District Office in Edinburg, Texas. I expressed my concern on the recent Illegal Immigration Crisis to the nice lady who I spoke with. She said she couldn't give me an official stance, the Washington Office usually handles that, and asked if I would like to be transferred to that office.

I said, "I would appreciate that, thanks"

An intern in the office answered the phone, and I informed her that I was a Hispanic US Army Soldier concerned on the Illegal Immigration issue, and wondered what Congressman Hinojosa's stance was.

She assumed too much.

She proceeded to read right from the script, telling me that Congressman Hinojosa had voted against the Sennsenbrenner Bill (that cracked down on illegal immigration) because it was not a "Comprehensive Fix" for the issue.

I asked her what a "Comprehensive Fix" was.

She then proceeded to transfer me to a "Pro", a dedicated Legislative Aide.

The Aide once again fed me the line about voting against the Sennsenbrenner Bill, and told me that other US Soldiers form the District had also called in with concerns much like mine (remember, they still haven't asked me what MY stance was), and the Congressman was a strong supporter of the McCain-Kennedy Senate Bill.

I said, "Oh, really?"

She said, "Really."

I then proceeded to inform her of my position on the immigration issue, reminding her that my brother and I had spent more than a year in a war zone, defending the security of the American people, and we weren't pleased with the vulnerability of our Southern Border. I informed her that this was not what I was fighting for. I asked her to convey my message to Congressman Hinojosa. She then informed me that she had many Rio Grande Valley residents serving in the US Army that had called expressing an opinion contrary to mine. I expressed disbelief. She didn't argue with me.

She said she would pass on my concern to the Congressman, then hung up.

I wasn't surprised.

I'm thinking that if the Congressman doesn't get his act together, maybe one of the Tanker Brothers could do a better job.

Or maybe even Tanker Dad - he's getting ready to retire from his "Day Job", anyway.

South Texans: Fed Up With Illegals?

Well, it's certainly starting to look that way, isn't it?

Two sets of rules exist for drivers To the editor: I would like to know why it appears that our city, county and state law enforcement seem to have two sets of rules for verifying state law compliance, such as driver’s license and car insurance — one for U.S. citizens and another for illegal aliens. Case in point? My vehicle was hit on the passenger side by a woman, illegal, who had no brakes, no license, no insurance and a 5-year-old child in the front seat without a seat belt on, after she ran a stop sign. She offered me money to not call the police, which I declined. I called 9-1-1 and they sent a Palmview officer, who wrote her up for the infractions and was going to impound the vehicle. Just then, a DPS state trooper came up and “took over.” Not only did he not impound the lady’s vehicle, he let her drive off after the investigation and citation, so she could go to her appointment with the “food stamp” people. The gall of this officer. My passenger asked him if he was going to let her drive off, and he just shrugged. What is going on? My vehicle was repaired with my auto insurance coverage; I had to pay for the difference on the car rental, since I wanted a bigger car than the insurance was paying for. The next day, the lady who hit my car was driving her wrecked car again, in the same area where she hit my car, and her child was still in front seat, still without a safety belt. What became of the process that we had in place, when the police would set up a driver’s license and auto insurance checkpoint? This would definitely reduce the unlicensed and no-insurance violations percentage. Had this happened to me in Mexico, I would have been put in jail and lost my vehicle. Mary Lou Silva, McAllen

I have the same question this writer does:

Why do we have two standards, anyway? And why didn't the writer of this letter get the badge number of the Officer on the Scene? I'm sure that there are a few oversight agencies would have questions about the conduct of his "investigation".

Hey, Mary Lou: if you're out there, drop the TankerBrothers an email. We'd like to get some of that info from you, so that we can make a few phone calls.

This is getting crazy.

Freedom Folks: Something Smells Fishy On The Border!

My good buddy Jake over at the Freedom Folks has a great report on the sharing of info between the Mexican Government and the US Border Patrol.

Who the heck is the Border Patrol protecting, anyway? US Citizens? Or The interests of Mexico?

If it's the latter instead of the former, I want a refund from my damn taxpayer dollars!

(By the way: you need to hook yourself up with a copy of Jake and Michelle's excellent CD. I listen to it all the time on my iPod; you should too...)

Sobering Thought:

George F. Will wrote a review of "United 93" - two thumbs up, by the way.

One quote, though, really stuck in my head:

"The message of the movie is: We are all potential soldiers. And we all may be, at any moment, at the war's front, because in this war the front can be anywhere."

Kind of minimalist, but I read and re-read those words, and it really hits you how true they are, doesn't it?

You can read the review here.

Another Good One: George F. Will

Sorry, I meant to add this one in as well.

On second thought, this is good enough for its own dad-gum post!

The hinge on which the movie turns are 13 words that a passenger speaks, without histrionics, as he and others prepare to rush the cockpit, shortly before the plane plunges into a Pennsylvania field. The words are: "No one is going to help us. We've got to do it ourselves." Those words not only summarize this nation's situation in today's war but also express a citizen's general responsibilities in a free society.

Of course, the entire review is here.

"They just basically endangered the lives of American people."

This is so annoying.

Imagine the frustration felt by the Minutemen, trying to take the initiative and "Do the right thing", when stupid bureaucracy won't let you:

U.S. Tipping Mexico To Minuteman Patrols By Sara A. Carter, Staff Writer Inland Valley Daily Bulletin  While Minuteman civilian patrols are keeping an eye out for illegal border crossers, the U.S. Border Patrol is keeping an eye out for Minutemen -- and telling the Mexican government where they are. According to three documents on the Mexican Secretary of Foreign Relations Web site, the U.S. Border Patrol is to notify the Mexican government as to the location of Minutemen and other civilian border patrol groups when they participate in apprehending illegal immigrants -- and if and when violence is used against border crossers. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesman confirmed the notification process, describing it as a standard procedure meant to reassure the Mexican government that migrants' rights are being observed. "It's not a secret where the Minuteman volunteers are going to be," Mario Martinez said Monday. "This ... simply makes two basic statements -- that we will not allow any lawlessness of any type, and that if an alien is encountered by a Minuteman or arrested by the Minuteman, then we will allow that government to interview the person." Minuteman members were not so sanguine about the arrangement, however, saying that reporting their location to Mexican officials nullifies their effectiveness along the border and could endanger their lives. "Now we know why it seemed like Mexican officials knew where we were all the time," said Chris Simcox, founder of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps. "It's unbelievable that our own government agency is sending intelligence to another country. They are sending intelligence to a nation where corruption runs rampant, and that could be getting into the hands of criminal cartels. "They just basically endangered the lives of American people." Read the rest HERE.

Grrr...

Hello. Mexico is known to publish a handbook on avoiding detection and circumventing the system when finally on US soil.

Are we really this stupid?

(never mind. I already know the answer to that...)

A Gem From The Razor-Sharp Wit Of The Tanker Brothers!

Question: Who is the biggest threat to the Democrats in the 2006 Congressional Elections?

Answer: The Capitol Police.

Tags For This Post: McKinney, Kennedy, Wit, Humor, Joke, Congress, Elections

South Texas Wakes Up!

Once again, a letter writer to the Monitor's "Letters To The Editor" gets it right!

Holy Sheemoly!

Immigration is caused abroad To the editor: Immigration is a natural process of movement into a new area, by living organisms, for one reason or another. In the case of humans, people immigrate by leaving areas of less opportunities for those of better ones. The problem I have with the massive protests occurring in this country over our immigration policy is that it is not our fault. The problem lies in those countries that do not offer an equitable lifestyle for their citizens. The United States, as a benevolent society, has tried numerous times to aid countries to develop a better lifestyle for their citizens. The problem is, they won’t do it. Time after time we send aid, in all forms and kinds, to these governments and they waste it on their own petty goals. I am sick and tired of having our citizens rise up in protest over an issue that is not of our doing. If anything, let them protest the stupidity and short-sightedness of governments that force their people upon us, instead of creating a viable lifestyle for them. Charles S. Zaremba, Edinburg

Beware, South Texans, you could finally be waking up to the real world!

(In all fairness, migration is the act of "natural process of movement into a new area", not immigration...); but hey, we're making progress here.

Another eye opening letter (Same link as above applies):

Illegals lack respect for American laws To the editor: Imagine going home and finding an “intruder.” He, to your surprise, is cleaning your home. Would you ask him to stay, or would you call the police? Most of us would call the police or at least get him to leave, which is why we need to end illegal immigration. Advocates of illegal immigrants only want to focus on the good they provide for America. This is like Satan telling Eve the apple is good without any regard for what God’s law (command) was. We are to obey the laws until they are changed. This is part of citizenship. Illegal immigrants can’t demonstrate this because they have no respect for the law. Most Americans have no problem with immigration. They have a problem with those who refuse to assimilate to America’s culture and traditions. They have a problem with those who would rather wave their home country’s flag instead of the U.S. flag. These people only seek to use America for their benefit while remaining loyal to their home country. What is sad is that American politicians put up with it and American businesses condone it. I challenge our politicians to pass legislation that would require public schools to educate only American citizens. This will help prevent illegals from bringing their children with them. Then they need to deal with border security and businesses who hire illegal immigrants. Tough decisions require great leadership, which we seem to be lacking. James E. Boyle, Mission

Your comments are welcomed!

Tags For This Post: Law, Illegals, South Texas, Debate, The Monitor, Wake Up, Enforcement, Immigration

U.S. Military Releases Video Showing Zarqawi Unable to Work SAW

Abu Musab Al-Girly Man: "U.S. Military Releases Video Showing Zarqawi Unable to Work Gun"


What an Idiot.

'Nuf Said.

What The Hell?

Call me "Not Surprised".

French authorities said Thursday they may consider pressing the United States to have Zacarias Moussaoui serve his life sentence in France. Foreign Ministry spokesman Jean-Baptiste Mattei said France would wait until the sentence is formally pronounced later Thursday to move forward. A jury recommended a life sentence Wednesday for Moussaoui, a Frenchman of Moroccan descent, the only person charged in the United States for the Sept. 11 terror attacks. CountryWatch: France France and the United States are linked by two conventions on transferring convicts, and "an eventual request for transferring Mr. Zacarias Moussaoui would be studied in this framework," Mattei said. He said no decision would be made until U.S. authorities "define the conditions of his sentence." Justice Minister Pascal Clement echoed that. "In France we have conditions that are specific, and we must know if they are compatible," he said onFrance-2 television.

Well, Moussaoui's Mommy had a few choice words for our legal system:

Emotional, nervous and dressed in black, she repeated over and over, "this is terrible." "I share the suffering and the pain of the parents of the victims. I'm with them," she said. "I feel like a part of myself is dead. Buried. With my son who is going to be buried all of his life at 37 years old. For things that he didn't do. Because he spoke too much," she said. She called her son a scapegoat and the trial a masquerade, and insisted that his guilt was never proven. She said the life sentence was worse than the death penalty. "Now he is going to die in little doses," she said. "He is going to live like a rat in a hole. What for? They are so cruel, they were wrong to want his head. They should have gone all the way to the end if they were capable."

"Now he's going to die in little doses. He is going to die like a rat in a hole."

Why does that sound, oddly, fitting?

...Don't Know How To Feel About This ( Moussaoui Edition)

On one hand, I'm a bit dismayed that 9/11 Terrorist Zacharias Moussaoui isn't going to be roasting in Hell anytime soon.

Moussaoui Gets Life In Prison (International Herald Tribune)

At the same time, though, I'm kind of pleased that he won't get the "martyrdom" that he no doubt hoped for. Maybe this way, it will be some kind of torture for him, rotting in solitary confinement for the rest of his days.

Solitary Confinement... a bummer he won't get some "American History X" forced man-love while he's in the pen. He's well-deserving.

On a side note: I found one thing mildly amusing, and another that really bothered me.

First: Was I the only one that noticed that this hard-core terrorist thug that was willing to commit suicide for Islam by flying a plane into the WTC, seemed pretty frickin' relieved that he wasn't going to be put to death? Even throwing taunts at the prosecutor?

Al-Qaida conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui escaped the death penalty Wednesday as a jury decided he deserved life in prison instead for his role in the bloodiest terrorist attack in U.S. history. "America, you lost," Moussaoui taunted.

Second: the jury said they based their decision not on his crazy-Jihadi suicidal tendencies, but instead on his childhood struggles.

But they did not give sufficient weight to those findings to reach a death sentence, balancing them against mitigating factors offered by the defense. No jurors, however, accepted defense arguments that Moussaoui was mentally ill or that he wished to be executed to achieve the radical Islamic vision of martyrdom... The closest the jurors came to unanimity in finding mitigating factors was on two questions. Nine found that Moussaoui's father had a violent temper and physically and emotionally abused his family. Nine also found that his unstable early childhood and dysfunctional family resulted in his leaving home.

...I'm am literally speechless. I am losing all faith in our judicial system.

Send this S.O.B. to Gitmo.

What do y'all think? Should this guy have gotten the Death Penalty? Or is life in prison the better punishment?

Click "Comments" below and let us know.

United 93: Shoots to #1!

Maybe America is waking up...

United 93 zooms to the #1 Box Office Slot!

Exactly what we need right about now: a reminder to Joe Sixpack why we're fighting this war...

Screw What I Think, I Want YOUR Opinion!

Okay, Tanker Brothers and Sisters...here's your chance:

Remember THIS post? My review of United 93?

Well, you've had a full FOUR DAYS to go see the movie. Now I want to know what you thought of it (And for y'all that have watched it and left your thoughts...thanks).

So here's your chance!

I value the opinions of each and every one of you, so hook it up! Let us know how you liked it.

(And if you haven't watched it yet..WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?)

South Texas: When Kindness Bites You In The...

Fourth Point Of Contact! Philologous, being an ex-Tanker, knows what I'm talkin' about...

As you, my fellow Tanker Brothers and Sisters, know - I'm always looking at the Letters to the Editors of the McAllen Monitor, my "hometown newspaper."

"Why?", you ask?

Because if you want the pulse of Hispanic "My-Parents-Always-Voted-Democrat-So-I'm-A-Democrat-Too" stupidity and ignorance: South Texas and the McAllen Monitor are the places to go.

I can say that. I'm from South Texas. And, as an added bonus, I'm Hispanic. But I digress.

If you want to peer into the maw of stupidity and ignorance, then by all means, read on:

Tell them you’re from Mexico? To the editor: I would like to share an experience that happened to a friend of mine. On Monday, she started experiencing severe chest pains and decided to go to the night clinic. After seeing the doctor on duty, he informed her that she would need several expensive tests to see what the problem is. My friend is a single mom with three kids and a deadbeat ex-husband that the Texas Attorney General has not been able to collect a dime from in years. She told the doctor she simply could not afford the tests even though she works two low- paying jobs. The doctor told her to go to the hospital that evening and say she was from Mexico, give a fake name and say she doesn’t have a Social Security number and the tests would be done for free. I think if our government was more concerned with the poor of our country and not the poor of Mexico, the taxpaying citizens of our country would get the help they need. Please call your state representative and tell them you object to any amnesty program that they are thinking of passing. Frank M. Scalise, McAllen

OW!

Does it hurt, un-named friend of Mr. Frank M. Scalise? All the generosity on your part? All those wasted votes for the idiots that are just oh-so-willing to give social services and free medical care to illegals?

Now this is what I want you to do: bend over, grab your ankles, and take a deep breath. You may feel a little bit of pressure, un-named friend of Mr. Frank M. Scalise.

As far as calling your State Representative? BULLSH*T! Call your frickin' United States Congressman! And the Tanker Brothers (being the Oh-So-Helpful fellows that we are), are more than willing to hook you up with the info:


Texas District 15: US Congressman Ruben Hinojosa - Washington D.C. Number 202-225-2531
(Co-Sponsored :"...H.R. 4885 contained some worker protection provisions (including an employment training program for unemployed U.S. workers and attestation requirements for employers who petition for nonimmigrant workers), the main provisions of the bill were an increase in legal immigration numbers and a massive amnesty for illegal aliens.)

Report Card Grade: F-



Texas District 25: US Congressman Lloyd Doggett - Washington D.C. Number 202-225-4865

View Rep. Dogget's Immigration Report Card

Grade: F






Texas District 27: US Congressman Solomon Ortiz - Washington D.C. Number 202-225-7742

View Rep. Ortiz's Immigration Report Card

Grade: F-






Texas District 28: US Congressman Henry Cuellar - Washington D.C. Number 202-225-1640

View Rep. Cuellar's Immigration Report Card

Grade: D





I'll give you one guess what party they associate themselves with. Make sure, when you call, to mention Mr. Frank M. Scalise's un-named friend. They like it when you mention one of thier constituents.

Stupidity Knows No Borders...

Thinking back to "The Age Of Tolerance" (You HAVE read it already, haven't you?), I am reminded by that one line.

"Are you a Maker? Or are you a Taker?"

Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE)  is trying to float a suggestion that we divide Iraq into three distinct regions: one Shiite, one Kurd, and one Sunni. He proposes decentralizing the government in Iraq, and letting the three regions govern autonomously, while leaving a central government in Baghdad to control "common interests".

Sen. Joe Biden: Divide Iraq in Three The senior Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee proposed Monday that Iraq be divided into three separate regions - Kurdish, Shiite and Sunni - with a central government in Baghdad. In an op-ed essay in Monday's edition of The New York Times, Sen. Joseph Biden. D-Del., wrote that the idea "is to maintain a united Iraq by decentralizing it, giving each ethno-religious group ... room to run its own affairs, while leaving the central government in charge of common interests."

This is probably the stupidest plan anyone could come up with. I'm not surprised this came out of Biden. The article continues (my emphasis in bold):

The new Iraqi constitution allows for establishment of self-governing regions. But that was one of the reasons the Sunnis opposed the constitution and why they demanded and won an agreement to review it this year. Biden and co-writer Leslie H. Gelb, former president of the Council on Foreign Relations, acknowledged the opposition, and said the Sunnis "have to be given money to make their oil-poor region viable. The Constitution must be amended to guarantee Sunni areas 20 percent (approximately their proportion of the population) of all revenues." Biden and Gelb also wrote that President Bush "must direct the military to design a plan for withdrawing and redeploying our troops from Iraq by 2008 (while providing for a small but effective residual force to combat terrorists and keep the neighbors honest)."

So, Sen. Biden...are you a Maker? Or are you a Taker?

If you want to make a region govern itself autonomously, then why force it to financially support another region? The eastern (Shiite) portion of Iraq is oil-rich. The western (Sunni) is not. If patriotism and common security is not enough to keep them together, then I suppose Sen. Biden is suggesting the almighty Dinar will. Sen. Biden is suggesting paying the Sunnis 20 percent of oil revenue to do... nothing.

That's crazy, and an insult to the people of Iraq that are fighting to keep their country together and secure.

I'm particularly amused by how Sen. Biden closes his tirade: calling for the withdrawal of US Soldiers from Iraq by 2008 (a recurring Liberal theme). Why by 2008? Well, to make the War in Iraq (and the larger War on Terror) - where Democrats are defeatists and have no credibility - a non-issue for the 2008 Presidential election, DUH.

What do y'all think?