Posted on 10/09/2005 8:33:46 PM PDT by The Mayor
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T.G.I.F. at the Finest |
Every Thursday at the Finest  |
Service in the 160th is a calling only a few will answer for the mission is constantly demanding and hard. And when the impossible has been accomplished the only reward is another mission that no one else will try. As a member of the Night Stalkers I am a tested volunteer seeking only to safeguard the honor and prestige of my country, by serving the elite Special Operations Soldiers of the United States. I pledge to maintain my body, mind and equipment in a constant state of readiness for I am a member of the fastest deployable Task Force in the world – ready to move at a moments notice anytime, anywhere, arriving on target plus or minus 30 seconds.
I guard my unit’s mission with secrecy, for my only true ally is the night and the element of surprise. My manner is that of the Special Operations Quiet Professional, secrecy is a way of life. In battle, I eagerly meet the enemy for I volunteered to be up front where the fighting is hard. I fear no foe’s ability, nor underestimate his will to fight.
The mission and my precious cargo are my concern. I will never surrender. I will never leave a fallen comrade to fall into the hands of the enemy and under no circumstances will I ever embarrass my country.
Gallantly will I show the world and the elite forces I support that a Night Stalker is a specially selected and well trained soldier.
I serve with the memory and pride of those who have gone before me for they loved to fight, fought to win and would rather die than quit.
Night Stalkers Don’t Quit!
"The Lord knows the way I take, and when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold" JOB 23:10
Awesome, isn't it??
I can't imagine reading it without getting chills at the dedication and patriotism creating this mindset - all for others, rather than self....
"Did you have fun?"
Oh, I am sure that I did; I was eight or ten years old at the time.
Special Forces Prayer
Almighty God Who art the Author of Liberty and the Champion of the oppressed hear our prayer. We the men of Special Forces, acknowledge our dependence upon Thee in the preservation of human freedom.
Go with us as we seek to defend the defenseless and to free the enslaved. May we ever remember that our nation, whose oath "in God We Trust," expects that we shall requit ourselves with honor, that we may never bring shame upon our faith, our families, or our fellow men.
Grant us wisdom from Thy mind, courage from Thine heart, and protection by Thine hand. It is for Thee that we do battle, and to thee belongs the victor's crown. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power and glory forever. Amen!
I thought so, although one is never too old to go on a tilt-o-whirl ride, you know. ;-)
The Ranger Creed
Recognizing that I volunteered as a Ranger, fully knowing the hazards of my chosen profession, I will always endeavor to uphold the prestige, honor, and high "esprit de corps" of my Ranger Regiment.
Acknowledging the fact that a Ranger is a more elite soldier who arrives at the cutting edge of battle by land, sea, or air, I accept the fact that as a Ranger my country expects me to move further, faster and fight harder than any other soldier.
Never shall I fail my comrades. I will always keep myself mentally alert, physically strong and morally straight and I will shoulder more than my share of the task whatever it may be. One Hundred-percent and then some.
Gallantly will I show the world that I'm a specially selected and well trained soldier. My courtesy to superior officers, neatness of dress and care of equipment shall set the example for others to follow.
Energetically will I meet the enemies of my country. I shall defeat them on the field of battle for I am better trained and will fight with all my might. Surrender is not a Ranger word. I will never leave a fallen comrade to fall into the hands of the enemy and under no circumstances will I ever embarrass my country.
Readily will I display the intestinal fortitude required to fight onto the Ranger objective and complete the mission, though I be the lone survivor.
RANGERS LEAD THE WAY!
[and then we have Edgar, who survived Rita..:))]
And with questionable equipment, iffy supply and sketchy training!
It speaks wonders for the American spirit.
and then we have Edgar, who survived Rita.
Always take the high ground!
Yes we have some great people in our American military.
It's the gospel truth
It probably was inevitable: a new translation of the Bible ... into SMS
(short message service), the text language of cellphone users. Yes, all
of it, from Genesis I to Revelation 22. Last week, the Bible Society of
Australia proudly took the wraps off its latest project , saying the
days when the Bible was available only "within a somber black cover
with a cross on it" are over. The society wants to open up access to
the Bible for everyone for free via the Internet, a spokesman said -
"and the SMS version is a logical extension of that." It's faithful to
the grammar of the International Contemporary English Version, he said;
only spellings have been changed. Want to see a sample? OK, how about:
"In da bginnin God cre8d da heaven & da earth." Alas, accessing the
entire Bible on one's cellphone would fill its LCD screen more than
30,000 times.
I'm so glad for the reprieve, TO...give Ink a few gentle pets for me.
Thanks Lady, I'll do that. She feeling a bit punky today, but like I said, she's still with us.
Oct 10, 2005
Iraq wears on weary Marines
Some experienced veterans say current tour in Iraq will be their last
HADITHA, IRAQ | They stormed the insurgent-ridden city of Fallujah, returned home, and now are back in Iraq’s most troubled province – all in 10 months time.
Some prefer this hectic pace. “I didn’t join the Marine Corps just to stand around,” said Lance Cpl. Giovanni Perez of Los Angeles.
But for others, the demands of the overstretched U.S. military are just too much, regardless of the bonuses being dangled before them to re-enlist.
“I get out of the Marine Corps in seven months and I can’t wait,” Cpl. Daniel Trigg of Olympia, Wash., said while guarding a mosque where a large cache of insurgent weapons was being removed.
Cpl. Trigg is on his third tour in Iraq in three years. His last tour had him in the southern city of Najaf, where U.S. troops fought fierce battles with Shiite Muslim militiamen last year.
For Lance Cpl. James Whelan of Kalamazoo, Mich., coming back is worth it. “As long as we clean up our mess and get this country back up on its feet,” he said, leaning against a palm tree and scanning a thicket of grass. Just 20, he also is on his third tour in Iraq.
Their unit, the 3rd Battalion, 1st Regiment from Camp Pendleton, Calif., is one of three Marine battalions sent to Iraq three times.
Last November it joined in the battle for Fallujah, where several of its Marines were killed and dozens earned Purple Hearts while clearing out insurgents. Now it is trying to tame Anbar Province’s Sunni Arab cities in the west that previously had no U.S. or Iraqi security forces.
The task is not easy. The unit they replaced suffered 48 deaths during a seven-month tour, and letters posted on a mosque by a former Iraqi policeman begging for forgiveness from al-Qaida members indicates the difficulty of rebuilding a local security force.
Marines note the war, at least in this region, has evolved since their last tour. Insurgents are now hiding instead of controlling entire neighborhoods.
Some Marines say this is a more challenging task than simply using the military’s superior arsenal against gun-toting insurgents holed up in homes.
“It’s harder. Before, you could just shoot a tank round through someone’s window,” said Sgt. Jesse Zunke, a squad leader from Reno, Nev., comparing the insurgency in Haditha to the militants who once swaggered through Fallujah.
“Now it’s just playing detective and meeting these people,” Sgt. Zunke said shortly before an explosion rippled through the city, the latest of dozens of roadside bombs to be discovered and detonated.
The Marines focus on finding weapons and trying to collect information in an area where allegiances often change and true sentiments are hard to identify. On Friday, a large Sunni mosque blared messages supporting U.S. forces from loudspeakers, according to military translators – but it was the same mosque where the arms cache had been found the day before.
For Marines who have been to Iraq before, the latest seven-month deployment is easier because of their experience, although some feel they are testing their luck.
“I’m a little less nervous this time because I know what to expect,” said Lance Cpl. Kemny Kim of Houston, who got two Purple Hearts for wounds during his prior tour.
Lance Cpl. Kim talked as he searched through groves of palm trees along the Euphrates River, chewing on pomegranate seeds and a pear offered by a farmer. His brother, also a Marine, just returned home from a tour in Ramadi.
Marines said their prior experiences had them prepared for whatever comes in an area where 20 Marines were killed in August alone.
“You can tell the Iraqis who are scared because we’re here and those who are scared because they’re bad,” said 1st Lt. David Jackson of New York.
Repetitive patrols through mostly empty streets, with only the sound of boots softly crunching on sandy roads and the hum of warplanes above, are relieved by an old Marine tactic – jokes and pranks.
As a young man on a bicycle approached a patrol, the lead Marine instructed the man to raise his hands and lift his shirt to check for explosives – then slap one hand on the opposite arm, then behind his head. It was the Macarena dance, laughing Marines noticed, before they let the man cycle past with a broad smile.
Marines waiting to scale a wall during house-to-house searches in 90-degree weather jokingly described their feelings: “Outstanding,” said one smirking Marine. “This is the greatest feeling in the world,” said another as the call to prayer wailed from a mosque a few blocks away.
“It’s kind of like you never left. We’re all used to it,” Sgt. Zunke said before his squad finished searching a block of houses and returned to their makeshift home in a school.
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Thank you Dan, I love your work.
Absolutely Sir, just sent out a freep mail to all involved.
Our Prayers and Thanks to your son.
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