Salute to the 19th Engineer Vietnam Vets!

Check out this great Vietnam veteran webpage of the 19th Engineer Battalion

Air Force capabilities?

First, there was the blunder of B-52s carrying nuclear weapons inside the United States without notice, and we now learn they are contracting to use Russian military cargo planes to haul supplies to Iraq…apparently because there aren't enough heavy haulers in the U.S. inventory. I'm not bashing the Air Force, just repeating what I read in the media. I really have no problem with using Russian heavy cargo aircraft; maybe it will further our relations. And, the Air Force (to their credit) stepped forward and admitted it made a mistake on the nuclear weapons situation. But, I do wonder of there might be some way to better utilize USAF (ground-based) manpower, so as to take some stress off the Army and Marines, who are doing most of the heavy lifting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Rain comes…finally

Rained here in SW Virginia for the past three days and we need it. Our area is near eight inches from this event in portions of the county. If it were to have popped up in mid-winter with normal temperatures, I'd be out shoveling tons of snow! Is this topic worth a "blog" spot? Darn right, considering we've gone months without any substantial precipitation in most of the southeast. And, this gives me a chance to highly recommend USA made, calf-high XTRATUF boots, which I learned about while traveling in Alaska. They call them "Alaska tennies", and they are without a doubt the most comfortable and effective wet-weather boots I've ever worn. You can get them here.

Anyone notice?

Have you noticed a significant decrease in the number of news articles and headlines lately concerning the situation in Iraq? Guess it's because there is progress being made, and that's not news. I do have to give a pat on the back to ABC nightly news, who last Friday had a good report on how much safer it has become over there, in areas that were previously exceptionally deadly.

Living close to a NASCAR icon is nice

We live about two miles from Martinsville Speedway, which plays host to several NASCAR races annually. The track celebrates its 60th Anniversary this year, and has grown from a simple dirt oval to one of the most popular tracks on the circuit. The races this past weekend were great, and of course I attended both the Craftsman Truck race on Saturday, and the NASCAR Subway 500 on Sunday. However, what struck me the most about where we live in relation to the track was yesterday morning around 7AM when I was out walking our dog. It was cool, in the low 40's, with a clear sky. The crispness of the early morning was transformed by the low, rumbling sound of high-power engines being revved up, in preparation for the Subway 500 race that afternoon. Blending in with the roar of the cars you could faintly hear announcements over the track's public address system, letting drivers and pit crews know the latest times for events of the day. As I completed my walk, I could hardly wait to get to the track for what would be a long, but exceptionally exciting day of slam-banging, fender-rubbin, short-track racin.

When I walked our dog this morning, the day after the race, you could hear the leaves falling, it was so quiet. Flashing back to yesterday brought back memories of Dale Junior bumping Juan Montoya out the the way, Jimmy Johnson and Jeff Gordon trading places within the top five most of the way, and old time racers such as Ricky Rudd and Bill Elliot still showing their short track stuff alongside the much younger field. Brakes failed, engines blew, transmissions went out, and cars bumped and banged throughout. I suppose there are those who say half-mile short track racing is not as exciting as going nearly 200 MPH over a mile or two long banked track. But, at Martinsville, you can see it all, smell the rubber and hot oil close up, and be completely surrounded by screaming, die-hard fans showing their loyal support to their favorite driver. And what's even more special for me, is that I live close by.

Here we go again

If you've been reading some of my earlier posts here, you know I'm not a big fan of all the Army's so-called "recruiting strategies". Plain and simple, it's my view that the Army has lowered entrance standards over what they ought to be simply to meet quotas, and the fact that those in charge keep trying to spin it some other way, really irks me. Now I read online at Stars and Stripes where "Army researchers are looking for ways to measure young troops’ enthusiasm and 'heart' to find ways to include more borderline recruits". The article went on, "…the test can help spot recruits whose body mass index labels them unfit to serve, but whose drive and strength show them to be worthy of an opportunity". So, what the Army seems to be saying is that when a potential recruit can't meet physical or other standards (already lowered from earlier times) then that's OK, let's just take a look to see how "enthusiastic" they are. If the Army judges them as being enthusiastic enough, then why not let them join; who knows, maybe they might eventually make it. That means more pressure being placed on Drill Sergeants who will not only have to deal with making qualified personnel into warriors, they will now have to figure ways to develop "enthusiastic but sub-standard personnel" at the same time. Dumb proposal.

Iron and Wine

If you like alternative music, check out the group Iron and Wine. You can download all their songs on iTunes. The group's newest album, The Shepard's Dog, is really nice…one of the best albums I've heard in a long time.

Wish I knew what's real

Last night on the evening TV news I caught a brief segment that said the Washington Post reported some significant progress in Iraq, specifically a trend perhaps indicating that the al-Qaida threat has been severely reduced as a result of U.S. efforts. Then, I listened to the words of retired LTG Ricardo Sanchez, former commander in Iraq, who was totally negative on just about everything. Why the general waited until now to unload his frustration is a good question. Anyway, I frankly have no idea what's real or not. Looking back at my Vietnam experience, it was hard to find anyone on the ground early in the 1970's (wearing tattered jungle fatigues) who was that supportive of our mission there, given it had been so screwed up earlier by politicians and others. Politicians today certainly are not helping us to archive success in Iraq, but my gut tells me that (unlike in Vietnam) the majority of our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan remain very supportive of their mission. I wish I knew for sure what's real.

This thing will make you feel younger

Yea, I know, this post has (like many others I write) nothing to do with the Army, but I'd bet a month's retirement pay that way more than half those serving in the Army today carry one of these babies around with them in their ACU pocket. What you see is the original Apple iPod, compared to one of the new ones…the iPod Nano. The newer models not only hold music, but play videos as well. And depending on the capacity of the one you own, lots of music and videos. I bought one of the older models, but it took me a few years after the original one was released in 2001 to do so. Now, I covet one of the newer models. My old one still works fine, but I figure if I get a newer one, I'll feel younger and more in touch with what's happening today within the techno generation.

Recruiting Objectives Met?

At a presentation in the Pentagon to news reporters today, David Chu, Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel & Readiness, said in explaining how the military met recruiting objectives in 2007, "…waivers were given to recruits whose criminal pasts were limited. Most of the recruits exempted were let in because charges against them were dropped or they had been convicted of misdemeanors, not serious crimes. Of the 15 percent of recruits who needed a waiver last year, 87 percent were because of misdemeanor convictions."

If this is not lowering standards to meet objectives I don't know what is. I also do not understand how the Army is going to be able to expand its force by 50,000 as planned over the next several years, given the fact that fewer and fewer top rate people seem willing to voluntarily serve.

Expanded Basic Training

The Army plans to add a week to Basic Training starting next month (from nine to ten). That's good, but what is really better is that the TRADOC commander has said there will NOT be any additional training tasks added. That means Drill Sergeants will have more discretionary time during which to reinforce existing skill training.

The importance of music

Perhaps I'm a bit different from the typical music listener, because I have favorites from many genres…country & western, blue-grass, classical, pop, jazz or blues. I especially like Russian and Chinese music, as well as other traditional music from just about anywhere in the world. Given all the stress and strain we have today throughout the globe, wouldn't it be nice if we could just sit down together and enjoy each other's music, instead of having so many differences of opinion about which form of government is best? Yea I know, a simplistic and irrational view of things, but still it seems like a nice scenario to dream about…while listening to a favorite tune on your iPod.

Crisp Point, Michigan Light House

While not all are in use today, there are many historical lighthouses along the shores of Lake Superior in Michigan. This one is north of Newberry.

Back in time

I just returned from a week in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where my wife and I joined three other family members in a (very) backwoods hunting cabin, built in 1949. Nothing major has changed since that time. No electricity, no running water, and few (if any) comforts of home we've grown so accustomed to over the years. There was a "two-hole" outhouse about 50 feet away from the cabin, and if you wanted to go out there at night, you best take a flashlight with you, and shine it first in the surrounding tree line to look for the glaring eyes of a wolf or bear, who inhabit the remote area. If you wanted water, you used a metal hand pump connected to a nearby well. Heat came from a propane stove, which recently replaced a wood-burning, hand-made barrel-style stove. The change was not made by choice, but by the insurance folks, who mandated it, or else bye-bye policy. Lighting came from oil lamps, and block ice allowed us to keep food cold. Eggs, bacon and pancakes taste much better when cooked in such an environment, and when you climbed the steep creaky loft ladder to go to bed at night, the silence outside was unbelievable, as was the sight of millions of stars unblemished by man-made light pollution. We were definitely transported back in time, but were more than ready to return home, and take a long hot shower, simply by turning a couple of knobs.