A North Carolina county has declared itself a "Soldiers' Sanctuary," and enlisted a citizen "Army's Army" to defend. On September 5, in a statement of support for the nation's military men and women, Cumberland County, N.C. will declare itself the "World's First Sanctuary for Soldiers and Their Families," with major roads entering the county marked by official blue and white "Sanctuary" signage. Within the Sanctuary, soldiers will be eligible for local services ranging from free child care to job placement for soldiers' spouses. A public proclamation will be made by U.S. Rep. Robin Hayes at a "groundbreaking" ceremony at the Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry Armory and Museum in Downtown Fayetteville.

With so many Americans wanting and willing to go back to the 60's and vilifying and disrespecting soldiers as they return from the middle east, Cumberland County, N.C. is a reminder that people still care. With several cities in the U.S. declaring themselves sanctuary cities for illegal aliens, it is great to see a whole county declare itself a "Soldiers' Sanctuary." Hopefully this will spark an outbreak of "Soldiers' Sanctuaries" across the U.S. Maybe there should be a contest for the most patriotic cit in the U.S. What Do you think?

Read the Full Story

A wounded British soldier home from Afghanistan on sick leave was forced to spend the night in his car after a hotel refused him a room. Corporal Tomos Stringer was told by staff at Metro Hotel, in Woking, that it was company policy not to accept members of the armed forces as guests. The 24-year-old had traveled to the Surrey town to help with funeral preparations for a friend killed in action. It was so late that Cpl Stringer, who had broken his wrist jumping off an Army truck as it was attacked, had no choice but to sleep in his tiny, two-door car, arm covered in plaster.

Luckily this did not happen in America, although, it wouldn't be surprising if it did. Isn't it amazing that in "civilized" countries where we have laws to prevent this from happening to protected groups(age, race, sex, religious faith) this could happen to a soldier? Especially since the soldier is the one who puts his life in the line of fire to protect those groups. What should this soldiers family do about this obvious discrimination?

Read the Full Story

Sally Ferrell had lobbied since 2005 to distribute pamphlets warning students about joining the military. After being denied access to Wilkes County, N.C., schools for two years, the American Civil Liberties Union made a deal with the school board to allow her to distribute materials twice a year. The school superintendent said one of the reasons Ferrell was denied was that while military recruiters were offering a career opportunity, Ferrell was not.

The school superintendent summed it up well. Military Recruiters offer a career. Activists offer nothing more than hate for the military. Since the schools are funded with federal dollars and the military recruiters are federal employees they should have unfettered access to the schools. If recruiters are are denied access, pull federal funding. High schools are not the place for activists, they are a place for learning and making choices about the future. For some students that choice will be the military. They shouldn't have to hear the fear mongering of activists that offer no alternatives.

Read the Full Story

President Bush has signed into law a bill that will ensure veterans benefits are awarded to "sole survivors" in military families. Known as the Hubbard Act, the legislation is inspired by a family from California's Central Valley that lost two of three sons in the Iraq war. After his brothers died in combat, Spc. Jason Hubbard left the Army under a military policy that allows sole surviving siblings to be discharged early. He soon found that the Army was denying him benefits he would otherwise have been entitled to. The measure ensures that Hubbard and those in his position receive the same benefits as others who honorably leave the military, including health care, educational support and separation pay that compensates for inability to continue service.

Much like "Saving Private Ryan" there are times when the military will put family or the continuity of a family first. It is a shame that we forget those who served honorably. Should we allow 'Sole Survivors' to receive 100% benefits, or the reduced benefits that National Guard and reserve troops receive? What about widows and their children?

Read the Full Story

National security will be a key issue during the intense fall presidential campaign, given the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the unexpected Russia-Georgia conflict. That makes it all the more important for service members to remain above the political fray, the nation’s senior officer said Thursday. “It is very tempting in this time because of where we are, and we just shouldn’t do it,” said Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, speaking at the Pentagon Thursday. “We are an apolitical, neutral organization in this country, and we need to stay out of politics — those of us in uniform,” Mullen said, echoing a theme he has been stressing for months.

The military should stay apolitical in that they endorse no candidate. However all soldiers should be encouraged to vote and should be informed about the political issues for each candidate. It is difficult to keep track of the political landscape while in a war zone, but the military should provide information about both candidates to all personnel so that they can make an informed decision. Should military members be allowed to endorse presidential candidates?

Read the Full Story

The National Guard has enlisted two superstars to attract new members and remind those already serving what the Guard is all about through a new nationwide theater advertising campaign that made its debut last week. The new “Warrior” campaign includes music from Kid Rock and features Dale Earnhardt Jr., the National Guard-sponsored NASCAR Sprint Cup driver. Over the next two months, the “Warrior” video will appear in more than 3,000 theaters and on more than 27,000 screens around the country. The video and pre-show slides will air before every movie except those rated G and PG.

NASCAR and it's fans are known for their support of our country and our troops.It is rare, however, in this day and age to find support among Music industry Stars. Both Kid Rock and Earnhardt deserve accolades for participating in this ad campaign promoting the National Guard. Maybe this will inspire more young people to think about what makes America great and how they can serve their country. Good Job to both Kid Rock and Earnhardt. Will Earnhardt and Kid Rock's ad campaign make a difference in recruitment numbers?

Read the Full Story

There are already plenty of troubling signs. The Navy is talking about tying up ships because they don't have enough sailors. The Army has artillery and engineer battalions that haven't practiced firing cannons or breaching a minefield in a long time. The Air Force might well have just lost its service secretary and chief of staff, not because of their alleged failure to exercise leadership but because they chaffed at accepting unrealistic budget projections. Washington officials probably will use the same excuses they did after Vietnam to justify reneging on their obligation to "provide for the common defense." They will argue that they can spend less on defense because they're so smart. They know exactly what the future holds, what the threats will be, how to handle them - and, miraculously, the cost of this defense will be exactly the paltry amount of money they're willing to spend.

Why is it that after every war people forget the main lesson of war? Naked brute force is respected all over the world. It is a law of nature only the strong survive. Isn't this also a law of international politics? The strongest nation that is willing to use force to achieve it's objectives is the one respected. No one respects the nation that wants to empathize with their enemy or understand why they were attacked. That nation ultimately is attacked again and again as their enemies perceive them as weak. Didn't one of our Presidents say "Speak softly but carry a big stick"? We must be a nation of peace but one willing to back up our moral obligation to do the right thing. Should we be considering downsizing our military at a time like this? Or shifting the responsibilities of the military to civilians with no training?

Read the Full Story

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Tuesday that he is not afraid of a new Cold War, but does not seek it. "We are not afraid of anything, including the prospect of a new Cold War," Medvedev was quoted as saying Tuesday by the ITAR-Tass news agency. "But we don't want it and in this situation everything depends on the position of our partners." The statement comes hours after Medvedev recognized the independence of two Georgian rebel provinces, defying the West. The recognition follows a short but intense war with Western-allied Georgia earlier this month.

An aggressive Russia with a Soviet type power and land hunger, is at the bottom of the list of things the rest of the world needs. An outbreak of the black plague would be better. Former KGB officer and now President Medvedev seems to yearn for the good old cold war days. In fact Russia even threatened the new missile defense shield with a nuclear attack. What should America do about this?

Read the Full Story

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki dug in his heels Monday on the future of the U.S. military in Iraq, insisting that all foreign soldiers leave the country by a specific date in 2011 and rejecting legal immunity for American troops. Despite the tough words, al-Maliki’s aides insisted a compromise could be found on the two main stumbling blocks to an accord governing the U.S. military presence in Iraq after a United Nations mandate expires at the end of the year. Last week, U.S. and Iraqi officials said the two sides agreed tentatively to a schedule that includes a broad pullout of combat troops by the end of 2011 with the possibility that a residual U.S. force might stay behind to continue training and advising Iraqi security services.

Nice stab in the back by al-Maliki. After becoming the Prime Minister of Iraq due to the U.S. Led liberation of that country, he now wants to dictate the where and when to the U.S. What stinks like camel dung is that the Iraqis now want to have the approval power over our troops campaigns in Iraq. That would work well as there government probably has more leaks than a sieve. The only problem with those leaks is that they can cost American lives. Do you think the Iraqi government is ready to take over everything in Iraq?

Read the Full Story

Who serves in the active-duty ranks of the U.S. all-volunteer military? Conventional wisdom holds that military service disproportionately attracts minorities and men and women from disadvan­taged backgrounds. Many believe that troops enlist because they have few options, not because they want to serve their country. Others believe that the war in Iraq has forced the military to lower its recruiting standards.
Any discussion of troop quality must take place in context. A soldier’s demographic characteristics are of little importance in the military, which val­ues honor, leadership, self-sacrifice, courage, and integrity—qualities that cannot be quantified. Nonetheless, any assessment of the quality of recruits can take place only on the basis of objec­tive criteria. Demographic characteristics are a poor proxy for the quality of those who serve in the armed forces, but they can help to explain which Americans volunteer for military service and why.

Contrary to popular belief it is not the uneducated, the poor, and the minorities who are filling the majority of the ranks of our military. The backbone of American culture is still the backbone of our countries fighting forces. There are many factors as to why people join the military and regardless of the scare tactics used by the anti-military left money is usually not the leading cause. Many of our young men and women want to serve their country like their parents did. Many of our young men and women see the evil in the world and realize that yes someone does have to fight it. There are also those who join for the educational benefits and those who join to see the world but never make the mistake of assuming that our fighting men and women are not the best that our country has to offer. I would put them up against any college student any day when it comes to loyalty, integrity, and perseverance. Why did you join the military?

Read the Full Story

Military successes in Iraq have nearly crippled al-Qaida’s ability to produce battlefield propaganda, hampering for now its ability to recruit fighters and raise money, the U.S. military and analysts say. The amount of Web statements and videos attributed to the main al-Qaida group in Iraq fell to 12 in May from more than 200 in May 2007, according to SITE Intelligence Group, an independent organization that tracks terrorist Web activity.

Yet more evidence that our troops are forging a victory in Iraq. Despite treachery and lies by American Congressional leaders they are still winning. Repeatedly America has been told that we are losing in Iraq. Lately this has been proven to be false as great news about Al Qaida giving up has come out of Iraq. God bless our troops and good job.

Read the Full Story

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America is launching a national outreach program to help veterans prepare for the big increase in GI Bill education benefits that takes effect next year. This includes an online calculator, at an IAVA Web site, that gives veterans an idea of how much money they will receive when the Post-9/11 GI Bill takes full effect on Aug. 1, 2009, with full tuition for people attending four-year public institutions, plus a monthly living expense and annual book allowance. Paul Rieckhoff, IAVA executive director, says the Web site should help answer basic questions about the new program, which has spawned a fair amount of confusion because the details underwent many changes before the final plan was enacted.

This is a great way to help veterans understand the full benefits that are available to them. Since a majority of our lawmakers are lawyers they instinctively write obtuse and undecipherable legislation that requires a specialized law degree to understand. (Consider it job security) The site gives a breakdown of the allowances for tuition, books/supplies, and monthly living. Ina addition it appears that the 10 year limit has been expanded to 15 years. Is there any thing missing from this new G.I.Bill?

Read the Full Story

The days of the green Class A’s are over. The Army’s plan to make dress blues the only Army Service Uniform has been approved and soldiers who own the uniform are encouraged to begin wearing it now, the Army announced Wednesday. The move to eliminate the green uniform is designed to streamline soldiers’ clothing bags while modernizing the way the traditional blue uniform is worn.

With this move away from the green Class A it actually reduces the number of uniforms a soldier is required to keep. This change in regulations will take some time to implement and every soldier will be wearing the blue uniform by 2014. This change in uniforms reflects a similar change the U.S. Navy made recently in their uniform standards. Are there any issues with the new uniforms that the Army hasn't addressed?

Read the Full Story

An open casting call for "All My Children" is far from business as usual: The soap opera is seeking an Iraq war veteran to play an injured veteran. The ABC daytime show has created a romantic story line to combine entertainment and a window into the challenges faced after combat, said executive producer Julie Hanan Carruthers. "All My Children" has launched a broad search to fill the role, inviting veterans to contact the show's New York casting director. The series also is working with a veterans' support group, USA Cares, as well as the military.

Is this a misprint? Use an actual war veteran to play a war veteran. Is this allowed? Hopefully this will inspire other directors and producers to look for some realism in their films. Good luck to whoever gets the part and hopefully it will be a long standing part in the show. Do you see anything wrong with a war veteran playing the part of a war veteran on TV?

Read the Full Story

Iraqi Shia fighters are now been trained inside Iran as assassination squads, the U.S. military has told the Iraqi government. A U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad confirmed details to CNN on Friday. The story was first reported by The Associated Press. The official said the details are being made public in part to pressure Iran to stop the training. The official confirmed that the training was being conducted by Iran's Quds force and elements of Lebanese Hezbollah at four locations inside Iran: Qom, Tehran, Ahvaz and Mashhad.

Qom, Tehran, Ahvaz and Mashhad, fi this story is true then there is your list of bombing targets. Oh and while you are at it go ahead and completely destroy their nuclear facilities. While it may not occur to Washington D.C., we should do our best to eliminate any threat to our soldiers. If this is war shouldn't we be using this intelligence to locate and destroy enemy training camps?

Read the Full Story