One COLD day at the races

It was not what I'd call a "typical" weather racing day at Martinsville yesterday. Some observations. More people wore insulated hunting clothes and ski atire than they did NASCAR driver T-shirts and jackets (except for driver ball caps which most had on, albeit coupled with ear warmers). There was far less beer consumed than coffee and hot chocolate, but the famous Martinsville hot dogs still sold in their usual large numbers. God smiled upon all the brave fans who attended (there were empty seats, but still the crowd was over 65,000) by giving us an exciting race with many lead changes, and typical small track excitement found only at Martinsville, Bristol and Richmond. Hendricks Motor Sports drivers (above photo I took of Dale Earnhardt, Jr No. 88 car leaving his pit during the race), Jeff Gordon, Jimmy Johnson and Casey Mears all finished in the top seven with Gordon second. Dale Jr. lead the most laps of any driver which made about 90% of the fans in the stands extremely happy, even if he didn't win (he finished sixth). The driver I root to lose each week (Kyle Busch) finished last, and made about as many driver mistakes as I've seen, including almost driving into the wall near the exit to pit road (he had to stop and back up which caused most of the people sitting near me to howl with laughter). Denny Hamlin (a Virginia driver No. 11 Fedex car) won the race and that was good. Temperature hovered at 40 degrees with a 10-15 mph cold east wind and mist throughout the race. That's almost 30 degrees colder than normal! As an aside, I wore exactly the same type of clothes I wore during my last trip to Alaska, including long underwear, several layers and outer rain gear. But, I'd really feel sad and regretful today if I'd have missed it all, by staying home and watching it on TV. Nothing compares to NASCAR up close, even when the weather is not what you want.

Situation in Iraq

As I've said many times before here on this Blog, much of what I understand about the situation in Iraq comes from the media. I do, however, maintain contact with Soldiers on the ground in both Iraq and Afghanistan, but that's mainly in relation to them providing articles to me for publication in Army Engineer magazine. To keep better informed, I read numerous press releases daily from the military, and browse through many websites which offer various views on what's going on. Yesterday, President Bush said in effect that now is a momentous time for the Iraqi government, given their recent action to use greater force to curtail insurgent and civil unrest in Basra, Baghdad and elsewhere in the country. Things have been going pretty well since early last summer, and some have been guardedly predicting that significant U.S. troop reductions might be possible by the end of 2008. I agree with the President that now is a significant time for the Iraqi government. If they can achieve success utilizing the skills we've been working so hard to train them to do over the past several years, then that signals major progress. If they do not, then it's obviously going to become increasingly more difficult to sustain the support of the American public, especially during the latter stages of an election year. 

What you can't do in today's Army

Look back at items of equipment used during WWII (the Memphis Bell B-17 bomber comes to mind) and note the name, or caricature of some sort, emblazoned on the side, typically drawn by some Soldier or Airman. Tanks, trucks, jeeps and artillery pieces all were used as a place to put some sort of original drawing or slang remark. This tradition carried over to the Korean War, and into Vietnam. But I have good reason to suspect that such may no longer be allowed in the military, at least pertaining to anything that might be considered (by some in charge) a bit too much for the sensitive nature of our men and women in uniform, or people back home. Sensitive nature? I doubt it! Example. I was sent a photo of a piece of equipment that had a sticker of Elvira plastered on its side (click here to see who she is). Soon thereafter, a replacement photo arrived that had been altered in Photoshop to remove said sticker. A big deal? Not at all. Just an example of some of the things Soldiers typically like to do, being outside the boundary of "acceptable" activity. I wonder what the crew of the Memphis Bell would say about that.

His name is Bo

It’s not my normal style to write about specific individuals in this Blog, but I want to do so briefly about a person in the Army Corps of Engineers who, in my opinion, has done and is doing a superb job. His name is Bo. To be more specific, Major General Merdith W. B. (Bo) Temple who is Director of Military Programs for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He is responsible for policy, program, and technical functions in the execution of over $20 billion of design, construction, and environmental programs for the Army, the Air Force, other Department of Defense and other federal agencies and foreign countries. His experiences with “troops” and his easy manner in that regard, have served him well. He was the Theater Engineer (C7), Combined Joint Task Force Seven, Baghdad as well as Assistant Chief of Staff, Operations (G3), XVIII Airborne Corps, He commanded both the 20th Engineer Brigade (Combat) (Airborne Corps) and the 82nd Airborne Division’s 307th Engineer Battalion (Combat) (Airborne) at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He’s a VMI graduate and native of the Commonwealth of Virginia. So, now you know who Bo is. But why, you wonder, did I select him to write about. It’s simple, he always is “out and about” staying in touch with what’s happening on the ground, while at the same time doing all those things “generals” do back in the headquarters. Take a look here to read about his recent travel and you’ll understand what I’m talking about. MG Temple is the kind of general officer I like to watch in action. He’s a Soldier first and a general officer second. To put that into perspective, I’ve observed many engineer (and other branch) flag officers in my time who lacked that balance. I guess anyone who answers to the name “Bo” has to be a good guy. And, as I’ve written above, in my view he definitely is.

Numbers

Sometimes, "numbers" and how they are portrayed by the media really tick me off. Example: CNN blasts headlines of 4000! today, meaning the loss of American fighting men in the war in Iraq. I'm sure Soldiers on the ground are not paying that much attention to specific  numbers, because they have a job to do. Every loss or injury is important in its own right, not the total amount as headlined on some web page or daily newspaper.

Should fish be worried?

It's that time of year when my attention turns to all the goodies sold at Bass Pro and other outdoor retailers. My mission this summer is to try to master the ability to use a bait casting reel, such as that shown here. When I was a kid growing up in Arkansas, I had no choice but to use a bait cast reel (we were relatively poor and only had that kind), so I grew to expect the dreaded backlash that caused the line to turn itself into some sort of tangled bird's nest. As I grew older and could afford something different, I dumped the bait cast reel in favor of an open-faced spinning reel, which to me was much easier to use. A couple of years ago, however, I started to watch bass fishing on TV, and saw that most really good fishermen favored the bait cast reel, so I thought what the heck, I can do that too. Last summer I bought an el cheapo one at our local Walmart, and gave it a try. Hours of practice in the back yard included a series of failed attempts to NOT have any backlash, but after awhile I got to where I could make it work…most of the time. So, I took it with me to try out from the kayak I fish from. My initial cast went almost straight up, and landed about twenty feet from the boat. I adjusted my technique, and the next one went much farther. I felt I had it down. Then, I experienced severe backlash on the following cast, so much so that I had to almost completely unwind the reel to untangle the mess. I never used it again. But now, it's a new year and I am again pulled toward mastering the bait cast technique. This time, I'm going to spend some more money and get a decent one at Bass Pro, vice the local Walmart. To inspire me even further, I spoke yesterday with one of my favorite retired Army Engineer senior NCO's who (unlike me) really knows how to fish, no matter the rigs. He encouraged me to practice, practice, practice and said, "I know you can do it." Anytime I get that sort of encouragement from an NCO, I listen carefully. I'll keep you posted as this story unwinds over the next several months. Should fish be worried?

Five Years

It's been five years since the war in Iraq began, and over that period we've been through many ups and downs in relation to successes and failures. No need to get into all that here, but I do want to say one thing. There is no way that what has been accomplished thus far by coalition forces was not worth the sacrifice and effort by all involved. Whether or not it's been worth it from an Iraqi standpoint can only be judged if you are one. I can't help but believe, however, that most Iraqi people are glad to see the old regime is gone, are are glad (reservedly) that there is a much better future on the horizon for their proud country, if only their politicians and religious leaders can make it happen. Many Americans fail to recognize the sacrifices made daily by millions of Iraqi people, who have endured so much, for so long. It's hard to define "victory" or "mission accomplished" in our war on terrorists today. Still, it's not that hard to list, page after page, small and large successes made possible by those on the ground in Iraq, who seek to bring lasting peace to their nation, and hopefully the region. So, regardless of where this all winds up, I'm proud of what's been accomplished to date. Remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice, and say "thanks" to those who have served or are now serving with such dedication and determination.

Mile High Swing Bridge

Grandfather Mountain in Western North Carolina is a favorite destination for many visitors to the Blue Ridge Mountains and Parkway. Walking across the mile-high suspension bridge is an exciting experience, as are the spectacular views from almost 6000 feet up. The drive up to the bridge is steep with numerous tight hair-pin turns. For those who like to hike, there are numerous trails. The most difficult starting near the Visitor's Center next to the bridge, including several ladders to assist climbing near vertical rock faces and steep slopes. I took the attached photos last Thursday…the day after the top had been closed to visitors due to 125 mph winds. While we were there, the winds were clam, and you can see the sky was generally clear and sunny.

Tourism in the U.S

With the falling value of the U.S. Dollar against world currencies (such as the Euro) more and more foreign tourists seem to be coming here to "see the sights, etc. During a three-day stay in Blowing Rock, NC this week, we ran into more foreign tourists at times than we did Americans. I suppose it's not unusual to have many foreign visitors in large cities, but to meet them on top of Grandfather Mountain during a relatively slow period for any sort of tourism in that region was quite a surprise. By the way, the views from the mountain are simply spectacular, and if you ever get an opportunity to go, I highly advise it. You can learn more from the link above, but in short it's the highest point along the Blue Ridge at over a mile up. The first day we visited, the rocky peak was closed due to 125 mph winds. The next day, however, there was hardly any wind, so we had a slow drive to the top, including some really tight hairpin turns. The maximum wind speed ever recorded there is 200 mph. I'll post a photo later.

Time Out

Starting tomorrow, and for the remainer of this week, my wife and I are going to be away on travel with close friends, to Blowing Rock, NC. So, no blogging while I'm gone, but I'll resume soon after we return. Some thoughts for Monday, however. 1. Toyota won a NASCAR race for the first time yesterday in Atlanta. That's good in my view. Unfortunately, Kyle Busch was driving the number 18, Joe Gibbs Racing Totota Camry, and he's the one driver who I totally do not like. He's talented as heck, I just don't like him. 2. I read today that estimates are that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are projected to cost us $12 billion a month in 2008. Borrowed money at that. 3. If that's not enough to get your attention today, how about the report that drugs have been found in the drinking water of 41 million people in the US…trace amounts of antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones for starters. Another reason to drink beer.

Blue Ridge Barn

I like this photo I took a week ago while driving along the Blue Ridge Parkway near Floyd, Virginia. Sometimes the lighting and sky seem to look just right. In my view that happened here, just as the sun was nearing the horizon around 6PM, and the clouds were thinning out from a rather dreary day otherwise. Has nothing to do with Army engineers, but maybe you will enjoy it as a respite from my usual talk.

Debits and credits of military service

As I watch budgeteers try to curtail or reduce benefits for our retired military, with hardly any recognition of the relative level of sacrifice made by those in uniform, compared to the civilian world, one thing always comes back to me. It's the stress on military families as a result of having them not be able to develop "roots" anywhere, as well as the years of separation they must endure while their service member is deployed. I remember long ago joking with my buddies, that the pluses and minuses of what we were then doing in the military, ought to be added up, credit and debit style, on some imaginary balance sheet. We often said, "one year in South Vietnam as a debit, would take one heck of a lot of years worth of credits to balance the sheet". Looking at our military men and women today with multiple tours in Afghanistan, Iraq or both, I have to wonder just how many years of credits they deserve in order to balance their sheet. Reducing their retirement or other benefits is certainly no way to add to the credit side of the ledger.

Waste of time? Maybe

I have often thought about "political" developments in relation to being the subject of something I write here, but have stayed away from that temptation. Now, it's too much for me to remain silent. Not taking sides in any way, but what's going on with the Presidential election has to be one of the most interesting scenarios I've watched during my adult life. It's as if the entire process has been scripted by a Hollywood screen writer, with twists and turn every week. At least for me, it has made me watch more cable TV news before supper and breakfast most weekdays. Waste of time? Maybe, but it's my time and I can waste it if I want to.

Dumbing down of America

My daughter teaches 8th grade science. She, like others in her profession, understand better than most of us that the youth of America today are not as well prepared to move into adult life educationally, as were their parents. Perhaps it's the result of "no child left behind" standardization tests that serve as a prime motivator for teachers and students alike, at the expense of being able to instill a sense of exploration in learning among those sitting before them in often over crowded classrooms. I'm no expert, so I won't go much further. I will say when a young person joins the Army, either in an enlisted or officer capacity, they bring with them a diminished level (compared to the past) of both technical and practical experience which was implanted in them during lower and higher level schooling. In short, it's my view that a new Private or a Second Lieutenant is not as well prepared educationally as they once were. Sure, they enter with degrees and grades that look impressive, but what's behind those statistics. For example, take away a calculator, a computer word processor with built in spell checker, and an infinite amount of data easily available from the internet, a so-called well educated person is left naked, having to rely on "fundamentals" presented to them earlier. If there is a weak foundation in that regard, I say we're well along in the process of the dumbing down of America…and that includes the United States Army.