Posted on 10/02/2005 6:58:30 PM PDT by The Mayor
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T.G.I.F. at the Finest |
Every Thursday at the Finest  |
| October 3, 2005
Beware!
Read:
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Daily life is hazardous to your health. That's the thesis of Laura Lee's book 100 Most Dangerous Things In Everyday Life And What You Can Do About Them. It's a tongue-in-cheek look at the unnoticed threats in life, such as shopping carts (which annually cause 27,600 injuries in the US) and dishwashers (which harm more than 7,000 Americans and 1,300 Britons each year). One reason for writing this book, the author says, was "to poke fun at the culture of fear."
In contrast, Jesus Christ calls His followers to a courageous lifestyle of faith in which our goal is not to avoid personal harm but to pursue the mission of God in our world.
The apostle Peter vividly described the day of the Lord, which will bring the end of the earth as we know it (2 Peter 3:10). But instead of fainting with apprehension, Peter said we should be filled with anticipation (v.14). Then he warned of those who twist the Scriptures, and said, "Beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked" (v.17).
Proper concern helps protect us, but excessive alarm leaves us paralyzed. We should be most afraid of failing to live with complete confidence in God. —David McCasland
The power of Christ within you is greater than the power of evil around you.
Incredible Pledge graphic Dan..
Thank you, you do great work.
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Supporting our Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen, and Coast Guardsmen at more than 1,000 places across the U. S. and around the world.
Hi Connie and Thank you.
MUX Marines adapt, overcome harsh Iraqi environment
CAMP TAQADDUM, Iraq -- With summer temperatures topping out near 120 degrees Fahrenheit and the slightest breeze potentially kicking up storms of fine sand and dust, Iraq can be an extremely harsh environment for most electronic equipment, even ruggedized military equipment.
The Marines of the multi-channel radio or MUX section, Communications Company, Headquarters and Service Battalion, 2nd Force Service Support Group (Forward), dedicated their time and energy to protecting their equipment and personnel from the environment by building a hardened, wooden building for their equipment and workspace.
The project started in late April after the section’s leadership identified problems and deficiencies with their current workspace.
“We were working in a tent,” said Sgt. Marshall T. Williams, radio and MUX platoon sergeant. “It was condemned by [the Battalion Aid Station]. It had holes, mold. If it rained… it sucked.”
The MUX section is responsible for establishing and maintaining communications through Microwave Multi-channel Equipment and multiplexing, essentially creating a line-of-sight communications “shot” allowing telephone and multiple data channel information to be transported without cable or wires between two locations. Aboard Camp Taqaddum MUX is used primarily as a backup or for temporary use, as commercialized fiber optic cable carries most communications, said the Richwood, W. Va., native.
The Marines had established a need for a new workspace, and implemented a plan. They requested support from the combat engineers, but the engineers were not able to support immediately due to other mission requirements.
So the Marines took action. Sergeant Nathan Lutes and Gunnery Sgt. Michael Smith, both of whom recently redeployed to the United States after completing a seven-month tour in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Williams formed a team to get the mission accomplished.
Smith went to the Supply Management Unit to get the supplies and the wood. Lutes, with the most construction experience of the three, examined buildings similar to what the section wanted and used his computer to draft a design, said Williams. “It’s essentially two [Southwest Asia] huts, one slightly larger than the other, connected by a hallway.”
The Marines then set to work, entrusting their Marines to successfully accomplish the mission with less direct supervision.
“It came down to luck,” said Williams. “We had a hint of down time and good Marines capable of running the shop in day-to-day tasks.”
With some advice and assistance from the Marines of 8th Engineer Support Bn. the plans were finalized and the building began.
“It was whenever we had time we’d come down and build,” said Williams. “If we got called to do a shot we would stop building and go set up the shot.”
The building itself was a challenge, said Williams. Their little experience and some expert advice made it possible, though not without some trial and error. The team often found themselves tearing down something they had just built because they found a better way to do it, or an improvement they could make.
When it came to wiring the building for electricity, maintenance and the engineers stepped up to lend a hand or advise the Marines as to the proper way everything had to be done.
The finished product: a sheltered and more controlled environment for the communications equipment and a workspace for the Marines of the MUX and radio sections.
“A lot of people made a lot of sacrifices from early on to make things better now,” Williams said. “Support came from all throughout our company and from other units too.”
The new building has increased the proficiency of the section by lowering the need for gear maintenance and equipment changes, increasing the Marines’ ability to keep accountability and track equipment, centralizing watches, and allowing the Marines to focus more on the task of maintaining their communications connections.
Speaking on the adaptation it took for the building to be successfully built, 1st Lt. Zaffrenarda L. King, radio / MUX platoon commander, said, “It’s Marines doing what Marines do: taking what we have and improving on it to make things better and get the mission accomplished.”
For additional information on the service members or event covered in this story, contact cssemnfpao@cssemnf-wiraq.usmc.mil
Release # 0929-05-0904
South Dakota offers bonus to veterans
Sept. 29, 2005
PIERRE, S.D. -- The state of South Dakota is paying a veterans bonus of up to $500 to certain military personnel who were legal residents of the state for no less than six months immediately preceding entry into the Armed Forces, who are currently on active duty or were honorably discharged from the Armed Forces, and who served on active duty during one, or both of the following periods.
For service between the dates of Jan. 1, 1993 through Sept. 10, 2001 payment will be made only to those who served overseas and were awarded the Armed Forces Expeditionary medal, Southwest Asia Service medal, Kosovo campaign medal or any other United States campaign or service medal awarded for participation in combat operations against hostile forces.
All active duty between the dates of Sept. 11, 2001 through a date to be determined, qualifies for a bonus payment.
Application forms may be obtained by writing to: SD Veterans Bonus, 500 E. Capitol, Pierre, SD 57501 or by calling us at (605) 773-7251. If you have E-mail access you can request a form by writing to
john.fette@state.sd.us. Be sure to include your name, street or PO Box number, city, state and zip code .
Pace Vows to Remember Impact of Advice on Servicemembers
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30, 2005 – Marine Gen. Peter Pace vowed today that as he gives his best military advice to the president and other members of the National Security Council, he "will remember not only the mission, but the impact it will have on the lance corporals and the airmen and the lieutenants junior grade and the captains."
Pace became the first Marine to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during an Armed Forces "hail ceremony" here today. He succeeds Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers, who swore him into office.
"We have a lot of work to do," Pace said. "This moment in history is one where we have an enemy whose stated public intent is to destroy our way of life; 2.4 million American men and women in uniform say, 'Not on our watch.'"
Addressing the servicemembers attending and participating in the ceremonies, Pace called upon them to continue the work done by those who went before them. "Generations and generations of American fighting servicemen and women have sacrificed and died that we might have the freedoms we enjoy today," he said. "And it is now our moment in history -- you and I in uniform -- to protect those freedoms for our children and our grandchildren -- and protect them, we will."
Pace thanked President Bush for his confidence in him and for the president's steadfast leadership and unwavering support for men and women in uniform. "Every single one of us in uniform knows that you are leading us and know that you are supporting us at the same time, and it makes a huge difference to each and every one of us," Pace said.
The new chairman, who started his Marine career as a platoon leader in Vietnam at the Battle of Hue City, thanked the ceremonial troops who represent the 2.4 million members of the military. "It's a hundred degrees in Baghdad right now," he said. "We've got troops wearing flak jackets and helmets. It's 90 degrees in Kabul. They're doing the same thing there. Your performance on this parade deck and their performance protecting us overseas is, quite simply, awesome."
Bush said that he has come to know Pace well during the general's service as vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. "I appreciate his wisdom and commitment to serve, and I look forward to having Pete by my side in the years ahead," Bush said.
The president called Pace a brilliant thinker and an inspiring leader. "His life is the story of the American dream," Bush said. "From his early years in Brooklyn and New Jersey, to his days as a midshipman in Annapolis, to his decades of service in Vietnam and Thailand and South Korea and Somalia and elsewhere -- in every place he has been, Pete Pace has impressed those around him with his bravery, his knowledge and his devotion to duty."
The president said he knows Pace will build on the vital work set into motion under Myers.
Before he swore in Pace as the new chairman, Myers said he has been honored to serve alongside Pace.
Myers spoke of how George Washington was chosen as the commander of the Continental Army in 1775. The Continental Congress chose him "because they knew him; they trusted him; they knew his courage; they knew his integrity."
"Today, when our nation's ideals are once again at stake, it's appropriate to once again chose a military leader for the same reasons," Myers said.
"In my opinion, there's no finer officer in uniform anywhere in the world," he continued. "The president nominated him and the Senate confirmed him as chairman because they knew him, they trusted him, they knew his courage, and they knew his integrity."
Marines Complete Hurricane-Relief Mission
American Forces Press Service
NAVAL AIR STATION NEW ORLEANS, La., Sept. 30, 2005 – A specially tailored Marine task force ordered to the Gulf Coast in the wake of Hurricane Katrina is headed home after wrapping up its work in some of the region's most devastated communities.
More than 1,200 active-duty Marines will return to their home base at Camp Lejeune, N.C., in the coming week and resume preparations for a scheduled deployment in the spring.
The departing Marines, part of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force, were among thousands of troops summoned by the president to bolster relief efforts in the desperate days following Katrina's impact.
"The intent was clear," said Marine Col. John Shook, commander of Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force St. Bernard, named for the Louisiana parish that would become the focus of the Marines' efforts. "Do whatever we could to help save lives and ease the suffering of those who survived. We approached our mission with a sense of purpose and accomplished what we set out to do."
In the first two weeks following the Aug. 29 storm, the Marines searched more than 5,000 homes; rescued 610 stranded residents; transported nearly 1,500 other displaced citizens; delivered two million pounds of supplies; and cleared debris from more than 1,000 homes, schools, and municipal buildings.
Their efforts began just hours after the levees burst, as Marines from the 4th Assault Amphibian Battalion and the Corps' Anti-Terrorism Battalion rushed to the scene from their bases in the stricken area.
On Aug. 30, Marine helicopters and amphibious vehicles began pulling survivors to safety.
Most of those rescues were carried out by the task force's air component, composed of Marines of the Reserve 4th Marine Air Wing and their active-duty counterparts from the 2nd Marine Air Wing, who flew in on Sept. 1 to help.
During three days of nearly continuous daylight sorties, four UH-1N Huey utility helicopters -- working in tandem with a mix of heavy-lift CH-53Es and medium-lift CH-46Es -- plucked 446 people from rooftops, highway overpasses, and other hard-to-reach high ground where residents had taken refuge.
As the helicopters began their three-day run, an advance team from the headquarters element of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit arrived at the air station here to pave the way for additional forces.
At the same time, nearly 300 Marines from MEU Service Support Group 24 -- constituting the bulk of the task force's logistics component -- were making their way down the Atlantic coast on two naval vessels launched from Norfolk, Va. They brought with them an array of engineering equipment well suited to disaster relief and humanitarian assistance, including forklifts, large trucks, Humvees and water-purification devices.
By the evening of Sept. 4, some 700 Marines from 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, had arrived.
As Marines and sailors continued to pour into the region -- the task force would soon swell to 2,500 -- leadership shifted to Maj. Gen. Douglas O'Dell, commander of the New Orleans-based 4th Marine Division, a reserve unit.
The Marines fanned out to three areas initially: Michoud, just east of New Orleans; Slidell, east of Lake Pontchartrain; and Picayune, just over the state line in Mississippi. They would later move most of the task force to Michoud, keeping the anti-terrorism battalion in Slidell.
Most of the Marines spent the ensuing week wading through St. Bernard Parish, just east of New Orleans, rendered a swamp after water levels in some sections of the parish rose to 15 feet in the storm's wake.
Using amphibious vehicles called "amtracs," members of 1/8 and 4th Assault Amphibian Battalion -- joined by local police and soldiers from the 169th Colorado National Guard --- churned through the fetid, flooded streets in search of survivors.
After multiple sweeps that included a stop at every structure in the parish, the Marines completed their search Sept. 13, having rescued 78 residents.
The mission in St. Bernard Parish was brought to a formal close five days later with a memorial service honoring parish residents who died in the storm and its aftermath.
"We were determined to do as much as we possibly could in the time available to us," Shook said. "We set out to make a difference, to offer a lifeline, to give the local leaders enough time to get their feet under them again."
As they spent what appeared to be their final few days in Louisiana clearing roads, removing debris from homes, schools and key government facilities, and helping leaders in both St. Bernard and St. Tammany parishes prepare for the return of business owners and residents, Hurricane Rita bore down on the Gulf Coast. The Marines repositioned themselves to ensure their own safety and enable a rapid response wherever Rita came ashore.
The morning of Sept. 24 bore witness to the new path of destruction cut by Rita across southwest Louisiana and coastal Texas.
The Marines of the anti-terrorism battalion were directed to Lafayette, La. Driving through the remnants of Rita's foul weather, they arrived within hours of the storm's impact. They synchronized their efforts with soldiers from the Army's 82nd Airborne Division, who had come from New Orleans to help.
By the evening of Sept. 25, the Marines had rescued 26 people in New Iberia, La.
Farther west, Marines from 1/8 moved ashore from the USS Iwo Jima to help the devastated town of Cameron re-establish the parish courthouse as the center of local relief efforts.
Shook said the Marines' response was critical in helping the Gulf Coast recover from what he called "this double-whammy hurricane attack."
"The Marines are tired, but proud of the difference they made," he added.
As the Marines return to North Carolina this week, they will immediately pick up where they left off, readying themselves for an intensive pre-deployment training program due to begin in December.
Most of the Marines, including 1/8 and MSSG-24, are scheduled to deploy with the 24th MEU in the spring.
(From a Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force news release.)
"Marine Gen. Peter Pace vowed today that as he gives his best military advice to the president and other members of the National Security Council, he "will remember not only the mission, but the impact it will have on the lance corporals and the airmen and the lieutenants junior grade and the captains."
A very good foundation upon which to start. I thank the Heavenly Father that He gives US good men/women to lead.
Thank you for this informative post.
No one could do what these special people do better, they are the best of the best. I am thankful for them and their service.
Prayers for their protection.
Thank you M'am. Very informative and I like the reference to Chesty Puller.
Good morning & Thnaks to our troups around the world. Prayers for their sanity & safety as they keep American safe & strong.
There was a nice short write up in the Sunday Parade magazine that is in most Sunday newspapers. James Brady interview.
will try to be back later.
duh.. sorry .. the article was on General P. Pace
With those happenings, and General Myers retiring and the naming of General Pace as the Joint Chief of Staff, the winds in Washington have changed to favorable ones!
May Almighty God strongly steer the course of America now, and forevermore.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
To all the Jewish Freepers
I was on a thread about the new nominee for the SCUTUS and about to congratulations to MS Miers.
But there were so many negaitve posts about her and President Bush for nominating her that I just got off that thread immediatly without posting anything.
Why is it that there are so many so called Conservative who do not approve of ANYTHING the President does?
I thought the Left was bad!
Good Morning Tonkin!
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