Free Republic

Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy announced 14 leaders are being fired or suspended as a result of the investigation into the culture at Fort Hood, following the murder of 20-year-old soldier Vanessa Guillén earlier this year. Watch his remarks at a Pentagon briefing.

As the sun rose on Nov. 14, 1965, a clear, hot Sunday, four U.S. Army helicopters flew, as unobtrusively as such machines can, across the rugged Ia Drang Valley in South Vietnam's Central Highlands. Below them was a wild and desolate place that in normal times offered a living only to elephants, tigers and a few Montagnard tribesmen. Lt. Col. Harold G. Moore scanned the terrain intently, scribbling notes and marking his maps. He was about to lead the U.S. 7th Cavalry on its most audacious charge since Lt. Col. George A. Custer led his troopers to the Little Bighorn...

Fort Hood officials are investigating the death of a former soldier who was found shot to death near the memorial wall of the post’s 1st Cavalry Division at about 9:15 this morning. The veteran’s death is being investigated as a possible suicide, officials said. Officials have not released the former soldier’s name pending notification of family, but an Army official said the veteran was a former member of the 1st Cavalry Division who left the Army last year. The 1st Cavalry Division’s memorial wall, located near the division’s headquarters, honors the 730 soldiers killed during the division’s three deployments to...

<p>E-mail to soldier spurs outrage Military supporters bombard West Allis company with messages; fears for safety arise By ANNYSA JOHNSON anjohnson@journalsentinel.com Posted: Jan. 22, 2007 What began as a brief e-mail exchange between a U.S. soldier in Iraq and a Wisconsin-based online retailer has erupted into an international incident that has pitted military supporters against free speech advocates and threatens to shut down the local company.</p>

Web Site Kicks Sand in Faces of GIs in Iraq Asking for Mats to Ease Hardship of Sleeping on Ground January 22, 2007 An American GI assigned to one of the harshest posts in Iraq had a simple request last week for a Wisconsin mattress company: send some floor mats to help ease the hardship of sleeping on the cold, bug-infested ground. What he got, instead, was a swift kick from the company's Web site, which not only refused the request but added insult to injury with the admonition, "If you were sensible, you and your troops would pull out...

A soldier based in Iraq got this response when inquiring as to whether or not the company ships overseas. He wanted to get the troops better gear to sleep on. To Whom it may concern: Do you ship to APO addresses? I'm in the 1st Cavalry Division stationed in Iraq and we are trying to order some mats but we are looking for who ships to APO first. SGT Hess +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ From: contact@discount-mats.com [mailto:contact@discount-mats.com] Sent: Tuesday, January 16, 2007 9:44 PM Subject: Re: Feedback: from discount-mats.com SGT Hess, We do not ship to APO addresses, and even if we did,...

LINDENHURST, Ill. (AP) An Army staff sergeant was days away from retirement after a 20-year military career when he was ordered to return to his unit, which will be deployed to Iraq at the end of the month. James Engle applied for retirement in January and later received a retirement award from the Army during a ceremony in Texas. On Sept. 20 he was told paperwork was missing and he should report to his unit, the 1st Cavalry Division. Late last month, the Army denied his retirement request along with a request to exempt him from his unit's deployment saying...

Reflected in a photo of Pfc. Christopher Fernandez, his wife, Maritza, kisses the couple's son, Nathaniel. Family proud of new dad who risked his life in Iraq The road from Tucson to Baghdad has been a tough one for teenage soldier Christopher Fernandez and his family.   The Army has declared him a hero. But the honor barely eases the hearts of loved ones praying for his safety.   Fernandez, a 19-year-old newlywed and new dad, received one of the nation's highest honors for combat bravery Friday when a two-star general pinned a Silver Star on his chest.  ...