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POPSWhere are the Republicans? Only .5% of Americans fighting in Iraq.
By Cptenaud. There's no vacation for our troops in Iraq, Joe Galloway writes that as we are, "hard upon the dog days of August. Members of the U.S. Congress and the Iraqi parliament will soon slither away to the shade of cooler rocks, and President Bush will no doubt head off to Crawford to take his frustrations out on some brush with a chainsaw. Meanwhile, in Iraq, the 60,000 American combat troops who daily patrol the most dangerous streets and roads in the world will carry on fighting, dying and bleeding in the broiling sun where temperatures nudge the 130-degree mark and 40 pounds of body armor and Kevlar helmet plus weapon and ammunition weigh more with every step an Infantryman takes. The politicians in Washington and Baghdad will take their summer breaks, happy to postpone any further thought of Iraq at least until September, when the U.S. commander Gen. David Petraeus makes his progress report on the American troop surge to Congress, as though that may make some dif
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POPSWar is not a video game During this, one of the bloodiest months in the Afghanistan war, the spots promote a somewhat comforting, if disturbingly misleading, message — and it is aimed not just at potential soldiers, but also at the public at large. For the former, the goal is reassurance. As Bush-era attempts to conflate bellicosity and patriotism were undermined by persistent body bags, military recruitment has become more challenging. In response, the Pentagon hopes to make prospective volunteers believe their tours of duty will be as safe as a night on the couch.
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POPS"Artchive" this site is a treasure trove of information regarding art....I have so much to learn & explore here :)
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POPSWounded-troops tally not even close to reality Apparently, the discrepancy comes as a result of time. Troops whose wounds are discovered after they return home are not added to the official tally. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.), founder of the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force, said the total number of Americans who may have suffered head injuries in combat maybe total as many as 150,000 — about 10% of the 1.5 million troops have served in Iraq “I am wary that the number of brain-injured troops far exceeds the total number reported injured,” he says.
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POPSArmy Brigade Stationed inside US Since the end of the Civil War deployment of the U.S. military inside the U.S. has been prohibited under The Posse Comitatus Act (except National Guard and Coast Guard, and use of the military on an emergency ad hoc basis is permitted, such as what happened after Hurricane Katrina).
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POPSTurning Israeli Soldiers into Animals: by Israeli Soldiers A force for justice Breaking the Silence was formed four years ago by a group of ex-soldiers, most of whom had served in Israel Defence Forces combat units in Hebron. Many of the soldiers do reserve duty in the military each year. It has collected some 500 testimonies from former soldiers who served in the West Bank and Gaza. Its first public exposure was with an exhibition of photographs by soldiers serving in Hebron and the organisation also runs regular tours of Hebron for Israeli students and diplomats. It receives funding from groups as diverse as the Jewish philanthropic Moriah Fund, the New Israel Fund, the British embassy in Tel Aviv and the EU.
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POPSYour Daily Dose of Moral Outrage: US Army Edition
READ THE WHOLE LINK...there are too many juicy details to clip: Another excerpt: He was given discharge papers, Defense Department form No. 214, that say he served honorably and left at the end of his enlistment. Miller got a place in town and a job, and began planning for his life as a civilian. The 29-year-old enjoyed his four years in the Army and once was named soldier of the month, but he admits he bristled under the authority and knew it was time to shed the uniform. The post says Miller never should have been allowed to leave, because he was awaiting trial. “He was erroneously discharged from the Army,” Fort Carson spokeswoman Dee Mc-Nutt said. When Miller didn’t show for his July 7 court-martial, a legal battle ensued, with the Army proving to a judge that Miller’s discharge was void. Miller went back to Fort Carson where he was convicted in a court-martial Aug. 1, reduced in rank to private first class and given extra duty. WAY MORE AT THE LINK
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POPSThe Best Job in the World Find out more about the responsibilities of the job, employment benefits, selection criteria, and view the key dates. You can also read about the selection process, research how to apply, and get answers to frequently asked questions.
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POPSMosaics, mosaics, mosaics... I've got a bit of a thing about mosaics and have done a few clips on the subject before. This site is just packed with amazing stuff and is a must see. I've clipped a few of the more unusual items (catflaps, would you believe?) But the site is well worth a visit.
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POPS"There's No Way I'm Going to Deploy to Afghanistan"
Another man of conscience chimes in: Having served three years and nine months in the U.S. Army, Agosto was to complete his contract and be discharged on Aug. 3. But due to his excellent record of service and accrued leave, he was to be released the end of June. Nevertheless, due to the stop-loss program, the Army decided to deploy him to Afghanistan anyway. Stop-loss is a program the military uses to keep soldiers enlisted beyond the terms of their contracts. Since Sep. 11, 2001, more than 140,000 troops have had tours extended by stop-loss. Agosto posted copies of the Counseling Statements issued by the Army on his Facebook page. Counseling Statements outline actions taken by the Army to discipline Agosto for his refusal to obey a direct order from his company commander. On one of them, dated May 1, Agosto's written statement appears: "There is no way I will deploy to Afghanistan. The occupation is immoral and unjust. It does not make the American people any safer. It has the
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POPSNutjob Chuck Norris Says He's Done Two Tours in Iraq Guys like Chuck Norris are more despised by the troops than any other type of person. It's because posers like Norris try to claim something they haven't earned. He attempts to browbeat others into believing that they don't "understand" combat the way he does, because he's "been there." He thinks he speaks for the troops. But Norris has never "been there," and he will never go there.
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POPSExtensions Don't Just Stretch The Army, They Stretch Families, Too! This war is putting a strain on many military families and marriages. I seem to regularly hear about "another spousal suicide" in my neck of the woods...things that do not get reported in the msm, because it's one of those things that the military doesn't report because it would "harm the troops morale". A year ago, a woman across the street was found dead, her husband was in Iraq and he worked side by side with my husband. He "got to" come home...sadly. I hear about divorces on a regular basis, some families work it out, most don't. Who gets married to spend most of their marriage apart? I guess it follows the old adage that if the Army wanted you to have a family, they would have issued you one." I heard that a lot when I was pregnant and needed my husband home and we weren't even at war then! It's hard enough raising a child as a couple, it's even harder trying to raise normal, happy kids who know they have a daddy, but never get to see him.
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