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Singles Weekend at FRee Republic 17 February 2006 ~~ In the Men's Speed Skating Team Pursuit event Matteo Anesi, Enrico Fabris, and Ippolito Sanfratello of Italy won the gold to the cheers of the Olympic host country crowd The Olympics are “big stuff“ . There is something for anyone‘s taste. One must respect the sacrifice & work the athletes have endured to get where they are now. What are your favorite events, athletes. Post Pix from present or past Olympics. Share you favorite memories. Olympic Links US Olympic Team Official Site Olympic Movement Official Page Ancient Olympics And what...

CAMP AL QA’IM, Iraq (Feb. 14, 2006) -- Inter-service rivalry is almost a tradition in the armed services, Marines, soldiers, sailors and airmen have all, at one time or another, joked about believed deficiencies in other services. Nothing is truer than the rivalry between the Marine Corps and the Air Force. Conflicts in the 21st Century, however, have yielded more opportunities for service members of all branches to work together toward a common goal. The western Al Anbar province of Iraq is no exception. Air Force Staff Sgt. Matthew D. Pierce, a military working dog handler with the 62nd Security...

AR RAMADI, Iraq (Feb. 14, 2006) -- The patrol almost screams to a stop, with humvees speeding past the targeted vehicle only to turn suddenly and cordon off the traffic while Marines and Iraqi soldiers quickly climb out and secure the area. While the selected vehicle is rapidly emptied and searched thoroughly, another squad searches the occupants for anything that might link them to the insurgency and asks them if they have information that could prove helpful. It’s called a snap vehicle checkpoint and it has become a successful deterrent against an enemy that blends into the local populace and...

MAHMUDIYAH, Iraq, Feb. 13, 2006 – Soldiers from 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, joined Iraqi troops here recently in a project designed to stop the flow of insurgents and to help prevent the emplacement of improvised explosive devices. The forces built a joint traffic-control point, the second within the city. "This road was previously known as an IED-intense road," said Capt. John Stroh, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Military Transition Team. "The first TCP reduced the number of IEDs greatly, and the second will close off the enemy's ability to place IEDs to the west of Mahmudiyah." The...

AL ASAD, Iraq (Feb. 7, 2006) -- On Jan. 5, a suicide bomber tried to interrupt Iraq's rebuilding process at a police academy in Ramadi, but honor, courage and commitment by Iraqis and Marines alike was the only lasting result from the attack. The bond between one Marine, Cpl. Brendan N. Poelaert, a military working dog handler with 5th Battalion, 14th Marine Regiment Provisional Military Police Battalion, and an East Kingston, N.H., native, and his MWD, Flapoor, a 4-year-old Belgium Malinos, came through the carnage unscathed, even if the pair did not. Poelaert, an Exeter High School graduate, joined the...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6, 2006 – The international community must stay united to fight the terrorists who have declared war against all free nations, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said in Germany Feb. 4. "We have an opportunity to help to write a new chapter in the history of freedom while these enemies are on the defensive," Rumsfeld said at the 42nd Annual Munich Conference on Security Policy. "This is, as it has been in earlier decades, a time to work together closely," the secretary said. "No nation can succeed in the war on terror without close cooperation with other nations."...

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Juue-Ann Lo Mother, Sons Serve in Afghanistan, Iraq By Sgt. Brennan Kramer 864th Engineer Combat Battalion (Heavy), Task Force Pacemaker KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, Feb. 6, 2006 — U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Juue-Ann Lo, of the 298th Engineer Detachment, is currently deployed with Task Force Pacemaker in Afghanistan. The mother of six said she joined the Hawaii National Guard 18 years ago with hopes of creating a better life for herself and her children. As her five sons and daughter grew older, they came to realize that they too, wanted the opportunity to serve their country. All...

2/1/2006 - WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- As the president spoke to the nation during the State of the Union address, an Airman sat in the gallery, dressed in blues, displaying the combat medals she earned in Iraq. America’s most prominent leaders were gathered in one room on Capitol Hill for the annual speech Jan. 31. Sitting attentively at her feet, the Airman’s German shepherd attended the speech too. Tech. Sgt. Jamie Dana is an Air Force security forces specialist and military working dog handler. In June she was severely injured by an improvised explosive device while on duty in Iraq with...

CAMP AL QA’IM, Iraq (Jan. 23, 2006) -- A Marine is never alone because around them at all times are fellow Marines taking care of them, watching their back and making sure they get home. Every Marine is a brother or sister to another Marine. In the case of Lance Cpl.’s Michael and Brian Huber of Euless, Texas, not only are they brothers through the Marine Corps, they are brothers in life. “It’s nice to have family here,” said Brian. “It makes the deployment easier.” Both Marines are reservists with the 14th Marine Regiment. Michael, 21, is a ballistic meteorological...

AL ASAD, Iraq -- When Iraqis took to the polls Oct. 15 to vote on their new constitution, Sgt. Katherine Weller and Lance Cpl. Carlos Chilla were in the mix, providing security for the poll workers as part of Operation Liberty Express. Two months later, as Iraqis voted for their national parliament, Chilla and Weller returned to Camp Liberty, serving the same duty as they had before, with a distinctive twist: they were battle buddies, standing post together. “I was grateful to be with her because we both knew what to expect,” said Chilla, a Wai Ko Loa, Hawaii, native,...

12/14/2005 - MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan (AFPN) -- “Daddy, where are you? When will you be home?” 7-year-old Gabrielle Hamed asked repeatedly. “Daddy, I miss you,” chimed in sister Annalyn, 8, daughter of Master Sgt. Roger Hamed, who is deployed to Iraq. Friends and families had a rare opportunity Dec. 13 to see and talk via video teleconferencing with several Misawa Airmen deployed to Balad Air Base, Iraq. The 332nd Expeditionary Communications Squadron at Balad and the 35th Communication Squadrons here coordinated the call so families could have about 15 minutes each. “It was really nice to talk to him...

AL ASAD, Iraq (Nov. 24, 2005) -- For many Marines deployed to Iraq, one of the greatest hardships endured is the feeling of separation from their family and loved ones thousands of miles away in the United States. Master Sgt. Claude Ready, the ordnance chief with Marine Light/Attack Helicopter Squadron 167, and his son Lance Cpl. Adam Ready, an avionics technician with Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 26, are able to endure the hardships together while stationed at Al Asad, Iraq. Adam Ready was serving with MALS-16 in San Diego, Calif. When he learnt his father was going to Iraq, he...

Airmen 1st Class Travis Mimms (left) and Terence Mimms are identical twins serving in Baghdad, Iraq. They are assigned to separate bases in Florida and each did not know the other was deploying to the same location. Travis, a supply troop, deployed first from Hurlburt Field, Fla., and Terence, a security forces member, deployed from Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Randy L. Mitchell U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Travis Mimms Airman 1st Class Terence Mimms Twins Serve Together in Baghdad By Master Sgt. Randy L. Mitchell 447th Air Expeditionary Group Public...

11/21/2005 - BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) -- When serving half a world away from home, many servicemembers treasure the little tokens they brought with them to remind them of home. Senior Master Sgt. Michael Brimmer, the 332nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron first sergeant, has more than that -- his niece, Army Spc. Angela Fekken. Specialist Fekken, a 1436th Engineer Company truck driver, has been deployed to Logistics Support Area Anaconda almost a year. That affected her uncle's decision to come here. "I volunteered to deploy and was given a list of places I could go to," Sergeant Brimmer said....

11/9/2005 - BALAD AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) -- Deployments often mean working long hours thousands of miles away from family and friends. But for two Airmen here, that is not the case. The Soto brothers are both deployed to the 332nd Expeditionary Logistics Readiness Squadron. Tech. Sgt. Orlando Soto and Senior Airman Saul Soto deployed from the 156th Logistics Readiness Squadron at Muniz Air National Guard Station, Puerto Rico. The two are continuing a family tradition started by their father, who served in the Army for 25 years. "My father inspired me to join the service," Sergeant Soto said. "I...

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (NNS) -- Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have been working together to provide relief to the victims of Hurricane Wilma. Navy personnel have been working feverishly to provide FEMA with food, shelter and security in an effort to streamline the delivery of relief supplies. FEMA's partnership with NAS Jacksonville has resulted in the delivery of more than 1,492 truckloads of relief supplies to hurricane-ravaged portions of South Florida since relief efforts began Oct. 21. Trucks have trickled in from around the country with much needed relief supplies since the beginning of...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14, 2005 – American and Iraqi troops in Taji, Iraq, are working together to ensure a safe environment for Iraqis to vote in the Oct. 15 constitutional referendum. About 3,500 American soldiers with 3rd Brigade, 1st Armored Division, and 2,100 Iraqi soldiers with 1st Mechanized Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army Division, are working to keep insurgents from interfering with the scheduled nationwide election, the two units' commanders said in Taji today. Security measures being put into place include stopping all vehicle traffic during polling hours to prevent car bombings, increasing military missions in the area, and freeing Iraqi army...

Killer Findings: Scientists piece together 1918-flu virus Christen Brownlee The "Spanish" flu killed an estimated 20 million to 50 million people worldwide between 1918 and 1919. Hoping to prevent such a deadly outbreak from recurring, scientists have long strived to figure out what characteristics differentiate that strain from other, more-benign varieties. Because researchers have lacked live samples of the killer virus, however, they couldn't answer this pivotal question. Two new studies now shed unprecedented light on the 1918 strain. The first study caps a 9-year effort led by Jeffrey Taubenberger of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology in Rockville, Md.,...

10/3/2005 - ALI BASE, Iraq (AFPN) -- The magazine selection has not changed, but everything else about the 777th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron medical clinic here has. Fifteen Airmen from several occupational specialties came together recently to double the clinic’s work space. Patients now have more privacy during screenings and treatment, a clinic waiting area and the six-person clinic staff is not tripping over each other during sick call. “It was a truly amazing effort,” said Lt. Col. (Dr.) Anthony Ghim, a 777th EAS flight surgeon deployed from Ramstein Air Base, Germany. “Civil engineering carpenters, electricians, air conditioner technicians, heavy equipment...

CAMP AL QA’IM, Iraq (Sept. 20, 2005) -- Some people say the Marine Corps is a small community in a small world. Three Clearwater, Fla., natives who live less than five minutes from each other are proof of that theory. Sergeant Chris Whitman, 23, Cpl. Matt Orth, 22, and Lance Cpl. Benjamin Hallstrom, 22, are all deployed here with the same unit, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment. The three Marines are all graduates of Clearwater High School; Whitman in 2000, Hallstrom in 2001 and Orth in 2002. Whitman and Orth were in Junior Marine Corps Reserve Officer Training Corps together...

HADITHA, Iraq (Sept. 19, 2005) -- Two Marines from 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment prove that being a part of the Corp is literally a brotherhood. Corporals Willie O. Watkins, 23, and Clifton C. Watkins, 22, are brothers from McComb, Miss., spent their childhood growing up together and are now deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. “Growing up we did everything together,” said Willie. “We lived together until after high school when went to college. This is the first time in almost five years we lived this close and I have missed it.” After graduating South Pike High School...

HADITHA DAM, Iraq (Sept. 19, 2005) -- The Marines from Jackson, Miss. lived within minutes of each other, attending rival schools and going to some of the same hangouts, but it took a deployment to Iraq to bring them together. Working in the motor transportation section of 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine regiment, which operates out of the Haditha Dam, is like a homecoming for those who hail from the same city. And the tightly-knit group plays an integral role in Operation Iraqi Freedom. “I feel we are the backbone of the entire unit,” said Lance Cpl. Kelvin O. Luse, a...

BALAD, Iraq, Aug. 22, 2005 — The separation during deployments can become a dangerous obstacle very quickly when it comes to marriage, but for two UH-60 Blackhawk pilots on Logistics Support Area Anaconda, deployment to Iraq has kept them together. “It feels completely wonderful to be deployed together,” said 1st Lt. Rebecca DeForest, a UH-60 Blackhawk pilot from B Company, 1st Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment, who deployed Jan. 9 with the South Carolina National Guard. “We can share all of our experiences first hand and we can relate to our jobs and struggles and our accomplishments.” The couple almost missed...

A year ago, the liberal group America Coming Together was on the cutting edge of national politics, spending tens of millions of dollars on a massive voter-mobilization project in every presidential battleground state. The dream was that ACT -- heavily funded by billionaire George Soros -- would play a decisive role in getting Democratic nominee John F. Kerry elected president and then remain in business as a permanent force in liberal politics. Steve Rosenthal, who launched America Coming Together to mobilize voters for Democrat John F. Kerry, said maintaining momentum after the election proved to be harder than expected. Billionaire...

A young Chris Cartwright and his older brother John Cartwright Jr. are racing around on a tank with their father, John Cartwright, during his National Guard unit's drill weekend. They are having the time of their life, but as young boys, they're oblivious to the impression this ride will make on their lives down the road. Fast forward 20-odd years, and the boys, like their father, are serving with the National Guard in Troop F, 278th Regimental Combat Team, and are deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom 3. They still ride on tanks with their father. There's...

IN November's general election, Californians expressed their desire for bipartisan effort and cooperation to solve the state's chronic budget problem and deal with our pressing social and economic needs. With the opening of the new legislative session, the Democrats in the Senate and the Assembly are confident about California's future, and we are making an unprecedented move to come together and work on a strong agenda for this state. We, the speaker of the Assembly and the president pro tem of the Senate, have been meeting regularly several times a week to begin this process. We will work together stride-for-stride...

The purpose of FreeRepublic.com's multiple message boards is to limit the topics for each board to particular topics. Posting the same message on all the boards defeats the purpose of multiple-boards for special topics. It is very annoying to see the same message on every bulletin board. PLEASE! DO THE READERS A FAVOR. STOP CROSS-POSTING YOUR MESSAGES!

SEIU International Union Hit with FEC Complaint for Laundering of Dues Money into 2004 Campaigns Union officials funneled workers’ forced-dues dollars to candidates through America Coming Together (ACT) group and Democrat National Committee FOR RELEASE: November 10, 2004 E-mail this page Free e-mail alerts Washington, DC (November 10, 2004) - The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation today filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) against the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) for unlawful electioneering with workers’ dues during this fall’s elections. The complaint alleges that SEIU union officials handed over tens of millions of dollars of...

by Fr. Paul Scalia Other Articles by Fr. Paul Scalia When Death Does Us Part 11/06/04 "Until death do us part." Most of us recognize these words from weddings we have attended or just seen on TV. Even our culture, which displays a tragic inability to heed them, still understands the truth they convey: marriage is for life. As the author of marriage, our Lord established this truth. During His earthly life He explicitly confirmed it (cf. Mt 19:6). He also taught clearly an implication we rarely consider: there is no marriage in heaven. "The children of this age marry and...

From Sunday, July 18 to Friday, July 23, 2004, the 89th International New Thought Alliance (INTA) Congress will be held at Sheraton Premiere Tysons Corner, Vienna, VA. This year's theme is "The Power of One: Coming Together as Love." INTA Congress programs on prosperity, healing and interfaith will include individuals from all New Thought movements coming together for dialogue, support and growth. Highlights include spiritual leaders Mary Tumpkin, Walter Starcke, and best-selling author Iyanla VanZant among many others, along with outstanding local and national musicians and an interfaith service. Highlights include an Interfaith Service on Sunday July 18th and a...

WASHINGTON - A pro-Democratic group that opposes President Bush (news - web sites) in its fund-raising solicitations is the target of a complaint by campaign finance watchdogs who argue the organization is spending illegally on its mailings. America Coming Together should be using limited "hard money" donations, not unlimited contributions known as soft money, to pay for the fund-raising letters, the three groups said in the complaint filed Tuesday with the Federal Election Commission (news - web sites). The groups are Democracy 21, the Center for Responsive Politics and the Campaign Legal Center. ACT has financed the mailings — possibly...

The Shadow Democratic Party met in New York City last night, but not without freepers there to let them know they were not totally in the shadows. America Coming Together (ACT) is one of the new groups formed to try to circumvent the McCain-Feingold ban on soft money. They met for a "Hate Bush" strategy session at the hilariously named Society for Ethical Culture.The likes of Tim Robbins, Glenn Close, Al Franken, Harvey Weinstein, Larry David, and Michael Moore were met on the sidewalk at 64th Street and Central Park West by none other than Raoul Hussein, Cacique (the only...

Last June, the billionaire investor George Soros announced that he was cutting back the work his foundation, the Open Society Institute, did in Russia so that he could focus his attention on the United States. The change was needed, Soros told reporters in Moscow, because the political scene in America had become "quite dangerous." In the Bush administration, Soros explained, "the executive branch has come under the influence of a group of ideologues who have forgotten the first principle of an open society: that they don't have a monopoly on truth." Soros, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Hungary, said...

and a number of other wealthy Americans are contributing millions of dollars to grass-roots organizations engaged in the 2004 presidential election. We are deeply concerned with the direction in which the Bush administration is taking the United States and the world. If Americans reject the president's policies at the polls, we can write off the Bush Doctrine as a temporary aberration and resume our rightful place in the world. If we endorse those policies, we shall have to live with the hostility of the world and endure a vicious cycle of escalating violence. In this effort, I have committed $10...

Democrats have built a soft-money lifeboat After battling with all their might for the soft-money ban that is included in the McCain-Feingold bill, the Democrats, led by Bill and Hillary Clinton, are subverting the purpose of the legislation, consigning it to the dustbin of campaign-finance reforms. After McCain-Feingold passed, a funny thing happened. The Democrats discovered they weren’t as good as Republicans are at raising hard money. At $2,000 per person, they could only come up with $66.5 million through the end of September of this year. In the same period, the Republicans raised $158 million. So the Democratic Party,...

23} OLDBROADS_INTRO -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- There are several groups dedicated to helping the environment. But Kristin Carlson found one group that stands out - thanks to their name. They're called the Great Old Broads for Wilderness... Women who try to bring fun and humor to the outdoors. 24 OLDBROADS_PKG -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ((nat)) On a crisp fall day - you'd expect to see hikers.... ((nat)) ....But you would probably never expect to come across a scene like this in the woods. ((tc 26:26 When older women set their minds to a task they get it done.)) ((tc 9:07)) These women all have something in...

<p>A day after the Senate passed a state spending plan, it was still unclear when Democrats could rally enough support to get the six Republican votes they need to push the bill through the Assembly.</p> <p>Republican Assembly Leader Dave Cox, of Fair Oaks, said Monday that he's still looking over the budget that passed the Senate Sunday.</p>

Imitating the Holy FamilyFour Traits that Make It PossibleBy Jeff SmithLike many parents, every day my wife and I face real and challenging issues in our family. We have two teenage sons and three younger children. Like many families, our children fight and bicker. Sometimes they are loving and kind, but at other times they are disrespectful. Sometimes they resist doing chores and homework.In addition to these very common problems with our children, my wife and I have to balance work and family life, make educational decisions for our kids, track our finances, and work through marital disagreements. This is...