Posted on 12/02/2009 6:53:22 PM PST by STONEWALLS
A U.S. Army cadet reads a book entitled "Kill Bin Laden" as he waits with other cadets for U.S. President Barack Obama to deliver an address on U.S. policy and the war in Afghanistan at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York December 1, 2009. Obama is expected to announce a plan to send 30,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan over six months in a bid to beat back the Taliban and bring a quicker end to a costly and unpopular eight-year war
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Well, no wonder they didn’t look any too happy. Even if there was someone there who liked Obama, I doubt that that would have survived a five hour torture session.
I know, the military motto is, “Hurry up and wait.” But any sensible POTUS should know better than to inflict such a punishment.
Drudge is now featuring this on his website.
Wow! I wasn't aware that cadets could wear previously won awards on their uniforms.
Most excellent.
The Foot Book by Dr. Seuss is about as high of reading level as they can comprehend.
one foot, two foot, red foot, blue foot.
Who took these photos? Why? Did he have permission from the subjects to publish them. I hope if the cadet is disciplined in any way, he gets a conservative lawyer and sues the pants off the photographer and all of the media who are complicit in this invasion of his privacy. (Not that the news media would likely be able to pay much).
Several readers note the active service campaign ribbons and medals on the man’s chest and identify one of them as the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, showing he has been an Infantry Soldier under Combat. D. O’Brien writes: “The Cadet pictured in your piece on President Obama’s speech at West Point (December 1, 2009) is not a ‘traditional’ cadet. He is a former enlisted man – and an Infantryman who wears the Combat Infantryman’s Badge. This award is given only to Infantrymen who have participated in direct-fire engagements against the enemy.
“...what can they do to me? Make me an enlisted man and send me to Afghanistan?”
I suspect what the cadet was reading was required or recommended reading in some course. The cadets where locked in the room two hours before OJ or OB came, and that was two hours of reading time, so why not read something you have to read sooner or later. Cadets have a more demanding schedule than Franny and Zooie at Swarthmore. They have a course load as demanding as any college, and, in addition, are required to drill, etc., and also participate in a varsity or intramural sport in each season. The reports I have read (as opposed to headlines) clearly indicated that this was before the speech, and not during it, suggesting that it was no more a disrespectful act than would reading “Growing Up in Samoa” or “Down these mean streets” or the Bible or the Koran have been. The Cadet is entitled to read what he chooses to read at a time when reading is not prohibited. That’s one of the rights these cadets will be fighting to defend very soon, just as many in the long grey line have fought for before. And anyway, why couldn’t Obama have saved the country some money and West Point some inconvenience by staying home and delivering the speech from there? Did he think the cadets would swoon like his campaign groupies used to?
Note: He is NOT obscuring those medals either ...
I'll never forget when a 3 - level cross trainee MSGT was assigned on my shift. He was a real tail gunner and looked like he could have stopped bullets with that chest plate.
I bet those other cadets are in a reserved awe of this experienced trooper.
Just to put an end to my little story, our MSGT had also been demoted some stripes more than once but had enough medals and combat to get his rank back on the next cycle or two (can you say Operation Linebacker?), or maybe also for covering for his pilot going through a bedroom window or two.
If Tiger Woods would have given this speech he ....
Would have told his wife how many women he was screwing and when he was leaving her!
VERY NICE
FROM DER SPIEGAL:
( THEY USUALLY ONLY ATTACK BUSH THIS WAY)
AFP
President Barack Obama’s Tuesday speech left a bad taste in many mouths.
Never before has a speech by President Barack Obama felt as false as his Tuesday address announcing America’s new strategy for Afghanistan. It seemed like a campaign speech combined with Bush rhetoric — and left both dreamers and realists feeling distraught.
One didn’t have to be a cadet on Tuesday to feel a bit of nausea upon hearing Obama’s speech. It was the least truthful address that he has ever held. He spoke of responsibility, but almost every sentence smelled of party tactics. He demanded sacrifice, but he was unable to say what it was for exactly.
On the other hand, if the PC WPPA Brass try to give him some s**t, then it will be that same free press that brings heat down on them.
It’s worth going to the photographer’s personal site.
There are some very compelling images.
One photo of Hillary Clinton will make a lot of FReepers laugh.
Different shot at the same venue:
previously earned awards
My bad.
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