[SandRat]

Warrior PING!!!

[Calpernia]

After 15 months in Iraq and a deployment to Afghanistan that landed him in the hospital recovering from gunshot wounds, Army Sgt. Erik Aass is anxious to join his fellow soldiers in supporting what he considers an important cause.

"It's tough to be on the sidelines," said Aass, an infantryman with the 173rd Airborne Brigade who's undergoing physical therapy in Vicenza, Italy. "You feel like you're letting your fellow soldiers down, not participating."

[shooter223]

"gained his U.S. citizenship in 2004" .....we need more citizens like this!

[Jimmy Valentine's brother]

"All we're asking is that they just don't quit on us."

Roger that, we'll take his six.

[R. Scott]

"You feel like you're letting your fellow soldiers down, not participating."

Not an uncommon attitude in the military.
I was with a group of about half a dozen patients at the US Navy hospital in Da Nang who went AWOL from the hospital during Tet ’68. We were not yet classed as “fit for duty”, but felt OK – we all had both legs and both arms, even if one of mine was in a sling. We hitched rides back to our units dressed in hospital blues.
It was considered a major problem by the hospital. They had even posted guards to keep it from happening – but too few guards, too many men trying to rejoin their units.

[Apple Blossom]

Too bad the soldier in this story isn't recovering at Walter Reed. Would sure like to meet him!

Hold down the fort this weekend, we'll all be out of town. See you on the 14th.