Tanker Brothers - Two Soldiers In The War On Terror

Remembering Marine Staff Sgt. Donald C. May, Jr.

Don was a wonderful father and husband. Anyone who met Don remembered him because of his smile and his ability to make everyone laugh. He was the guy with the big smile. Don, you will be in our hearts forever........

On the back of Don's memorial cards I had printed:

May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face.
And rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you
in the hollow of His hand.

Semper Fidelis

Wife Deborah May (here)

Marine Staff Sgt. Donald C. May, Jr. 31, of Richmond, Virginia.
Killed during convoy operations when his tank plunged off a cliff into the Euphrates River. He was assigned to the 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division, Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, California. Died on March 25, 2003.

Always remembered and honoured, today and every day.

Semper Fi.

Labels: Remembering Marine Staff Sgt. Donald C. May Jr.

For our Canadians

(thanks to Dena of Take a Soldier Fishing for the picture)

You will know it weighs heavy on my heart as our heroes are returned home to Canada. Since I heard of the latest news, this song has come back to me. Written and performed by a BC boy, (thank YOU, Shawn!) this one IS my heart. I want to share it - again - with all of you. My thoughts and prayers - and THANKS - go out to all our troops and their precious families.

Rest in Peace, faithful warriors.

*For earlier posts on our heroes - arriving home today - go to Assoluta Tranquillita here*

Labels: For our Canadians, Shawn Hlook

Dover: Tell me, Mr Gates

Sometimes, the ignorance coming out of Washington DC is so stunning, I am rendered almost speechless. From Thunder Run comes the following:

Tell Me Mr. Gates....How Can You Lift the Ban After This?
Please Mr. Gates, tell me how you can continue forward with your plan to lift the ban after visiting Dover and having, as your press release notes: ".... very moving experience ..."?

Gates Pays Respects to Fallen Servicemembers at Dover
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 17, 2009 – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates traveled to Dover Air Force Base, Del., last night to pay his respects to four servicemembers killed recently in Afghanistan, a senior Pentagon official said here today.

Gates “wanted to personally honor the sacrifice” of the three soldiers and one airman who died last weekend in a roadside bomb attack near Jalalabad, Afghanistan, Press Secretary Geoff Morrell told reporters.

Jalalabad is located between the Afghan capital of Kabul and the Pakistani city of Peshawar.

The secretary’s visit to Dover last night “was a very moving experience for him,” Morrell said....

There is more, of course. Go here and read the rest, and be SURE to read the comments. David, and two Gold Star Families, goes beyond my "ignorance" comment.

The insanity continues.

Labels: Dover, Robert Gate, Thunder Run

Victory in Iraq Day

Get to it!

Labels: VI Day June 13

Freedom for Gilad

Gilad Shalit is STILL not free. Recently Mrs Clinton, emissary of Barack Obama, pledged $900m in "aid" to Gaza.

I am on the record as believing that if that money was tied irrevocably to the release of this Israeli soldier, he WOULD be released. It is beyond insane, in my opinion, to pour any more money into Gaza as long as we have proof that Hamas uses donations to further their weaponry stashes, enabling them to continue to attack Israel DAILY. Yes, there is proof of this, even though you may not read that in our msm. It is beyond comprehension that we pour any more money in there as long as Gilad is denied freedom.

Yesterday someone sent me a petition that we can all sign and send to Mrs Clinton. This petition very simply demands that the $900m ONLY be gtiven to Gaza upon release of Gilad.

If the Obama administration really does believe in human rights(oh, know you all know my views on that,) then let them refuse to give one more cent to Gaza until Gilad is home.

The petition is online right here. There is also a very short film featuring Gilad's father. Go NOW, watch the movie, and sign this petition. Please. It will take you less than one minute to sign the petition here.

Let's make our voices heard. Thank you.

H/T Katie

Labels: Freedom for Gilad petition

Bratdog asks: Can you help? woof

My *almost* infamous Bratdog is my baby. Yes, she is, and as her mum I always worry about the 'what ifs'. The 'what if' I had to find someone else to look after her if I had to be away for any length of time. Lucky for me, that is not an issue because where I go, usually Bratdog goes.

However, for our military deployed far from home, finding someone to care for their furbabies while they are away serving overseas is a BIG issue. If you look at my sidebar over there >>> you will see the logo for Guardian Angels for Soldiers Pets. Just as Soldiers' Angels supports the homefront heroes - the families of our military - so the men and women away don't have to worry (too much), so too does GASP care for their furbabies if their in no other option.

Today, I find the latest from GASP:

March 9, 2009 - Guardian Angels for Soldier’s Pet (GASP) announced today they have finalized a contract to purchase 11 acres for the establishment of the first “Military & Veterans Pet” (MVP) Sanctuary. The property is located in eastern Garland County, Arkansas approximately 9 miles east of downtown Hot Springs and 60 miles west of downtown Little Rock off Hwy 70.

The first MVP Sanctuary will allow GASP to provide a caring, loving, and safe temporary home-like environment where an approved individual foster home is not available to care for the pet/pets to meet the deploying pet owner's time line, further ensure the pet is waiting for their owner's safe return from the deployment, and expand our programs and services to our Arkansas veterans' who need a temporary home for their pet in emergency hardship type situations.

Pet guests will be from Arkansas and surrounding states such as LA, MO, MS, OK, TN, and TX.

As part of the accepted purchase contract, the organization needs to raise $140,000 by March 31st to remove the contingency for obtaining the funds and setting the closing date.

During 2007 and 2008, we received donations earmarked for the project, but without a specific location/property identified; many people would not commit money without seeing where their donations were going. “We are now asking the military community and general public to help us make the sanctuary a reality via monetary donations”, said Linda Spurlin-Dominik, Founder/National CEO of the organization.

To make a donation, visit www.mvpsanctuary.org to make an online donation or mail check/money order payable to:

Guardian Angels for Soldier’s Pet – MVP Sanctuary
167 Candleberry Cir
Hot Springs, AR 71913-2109

Donations to the "MVP Sanctuary" are deductible as allowed under Section 170 of the Internal Revenue Code (Guardian Angels for Soldier's Pet Federal Tax ID: 20-2229425).

Each donor will receive an official “Thank You” and pre-numbered receipt for their tax records.

To learn more about the MVP Sanctuary project visit www.mvpsanctuary.org and for more information about Guardian Angels for Soldier’s Pet visit www.guardianangelsfors...erspet.org

Guardian Angels for Soldier’s Pet is an ALL volunteer 501c3 nonprofit public charity organization supporting deploying military service members, veterans, and their beloved pets through programs and services aimed at reuniting the beloved pets with their owners following a deployment in harm’s way or an emergency hardship...

Go check out GASP, and see what YOU can do to help our troops and their furbabies.

Thank you.

*This message has been Bratdog approved. Woooooof!*

cross-posted from Assoluta Tranquillita

Labels: GASP

DoD...Recruiting and Retention Numbers for February 2009

DoD Announces Recruiting and Retention Numbers for February 2009

The Department of Defense announced today its recruiting and retention statistics for the active and reserve components for the month of February.

· Active Component.

· Recruiting. All services met or exceeded recruiting goals for February.

· Army – 6,324 accessions with a goal of 6,000; 105 percent

· Navy – 3,060 accessions with a goal of 3,060; 100 percent

· Marine Corps – 1,752 accessions with a goal of 1,292; 136 percent

· Air Force – 2,486 accessions with a goal of 2,486; 100 percent

Retention. All four active components continued their success in fiscal 2009, meeting or
exceeding February retention goals.

· Reserve Component.

· Accessions. All six reserve components met or exceeded their
accession goals for the month of February 2009.

· Army National Guard – 6,114 accessions with a goal of 5,592; 109 percent

· Army Reserve – 3,614 accessions with a goal of 3,138; 115 percent

· Navy Reserve – 602 accessions with a goal of 602; 100 percent

· Marine Corps Reserve – 602 accessions with a goal of 602; 100 percent

· Air National Guard – 946 accessions with a goal of 859; 110 percent

· Air Force Reserve – 803 accessions with a goal of 803; 100 percent

· Attrition. Losses in all reserve components were within acceptable limits.

(source)

February Statistics Show Solid Recruiting, Retention Success

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 10, 2009 – Defense Department officials today announced across-the-board recruiting and retention successes in February, with every service meeting or exceeding its active-duty, reserve and National Guard goals.

The statistics reflect solid recruiting performance during a month that Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman noted is traditionally a slow recruiting period.

Both the Army and Marine Corps, which are in the midst of growing their forces, exceeded their February goals. The Army led active-component recruiting, signing on 324 more soldiers than its 6,000-soldier goal for February. The Marine Corps, with 1,752 new accessions, topped its monthly goal by a whopping 36 percent, officials said.

Meanwhile, the Navy and Air Force met their February goals with 3,060 and 2,486 accessions, respectively.

In the reserve components, the Army National Guard signed on 6,114 members, 109 percent of its goal. The Army Reserve, with 3,614 accessions, topped its goal by 15 percent.

The Air National Guard recruited 946 members, 110 percent of its goal. The Navy Reserve and Marine Corps Reserve both met their monthly goals of 602 recruits, and the Air Force Reserve met its 803-airman goal.

These recruiting successes continue a fiscal 2009 trend despite what the Pentagon’s accessions chief described last week as a particularly challenging recruiting environment.

“The services have done a remarkable job in recruiting a quality force in an environment that has been characterized by most as the most challenging since the advent of the all-volunteer force in 1973,” Curtis Gilroy, director of the Pentagon’s Accessions Policy Office, told Congress last week.

Gilroy cited a full range of recruiting challenges during a House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel hearing. Adult influencers have become increasingly hesitant to recommend military service, and young people are demonstrating a lower propensity to enlist than just four years ago, he said. In addition, the pool of qualified candidates is shrinking due to educational, physical fitness or health problems, including obesity.

But despite these challenges, Gilroy reported a strong year for military recruiting. “I’m delighted to report to you that the state of recruiting and retention for our active-duty force, as we are one-third of the way through fiscal 2009, is a success,” he told the congressional panel.(source)

Labels: DoD Recruiting and Retention Numbers February 2009

Dover: If it bleeds it leads

Dover is where our fallen first touch down on American soil on their final journey home. I recently posted pieces from two men more than qualified to have an informed firsthand opinion about the president overturning the long-time ban of the media from Dover; one was my friend Robert Stokely, Gold Star Father, and the other was Old Blue, active duty military, and blogger par excellence.

I have been listening the last few days to the furore over this latest "mistake" of the current White House resident. I am having a hard time deciding if he is just being disingenuous when he declares that it is now up to individual families whether or not to allow the media to photograph the Dove ceremonies; I am trying to figure out if he is merely callous or just plain stupid in the ways of the media machinations....

Read the rest at Assoluta Tranquillita here.

Labels: Blackfive, Dover is ours, From My Position, KDIH, Robert Stokely

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Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Remembering Marine Staff Sgt. Donald C. May, Jr.