Carrier Strike Group Rushes To Persian Gulf

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2012/08/27/Carrier-strike-group-rushes-to-PersianGulf/UPI-35731346063400/ ^ | August 27, 2012

[hummingbird]

GMTA!

[hummingbird]

He told the Russians he would have more “flexibility” after he wins.

[hummingbird]

Let’em have it....

Absolutely...to win the "hearts and minds", you have to have something to work with.

[Drew68]

But at least mine was done in the Med where there were some decent liberty ports. I cannot imagine where ships sent to the Persian Gulf dock to let the crew blow off steam.

Did 8 months on Eisenhower. Port call went as follows: Naples, Cyprus, Dubai, Dubai, Dubai, Dubai, (and maybe a fifth Dubai. I can't remember) Portugal, home.

[hummingbird]

"That is what “beaten “looks like."

Good point...more reason to get out.

[BooBoo1000]

No I don't think I was being callous. I am sick and tired of hearing our service members moan and groaning about be posted to a war zone. That is what service members do. They understood this when they took the Oath to defend the United States against all enemies. If they didn't want to do that then perhaps they should have chosen a different career path. Every time I pick up a paper or turn on the T-V there is some one slobbering and bawling because they are being sent to a War zone. I don't remember this as having part of the scene when I and my fellow service members left for Korea 1950 to 1953. It was what we signed up for, it was our duty and what we signed up for. I remember my Brother in Law telling my sister before they were married that his first duty was to the Navy, he had signed up to serve in the Navy, after that she and the family were the next priority. He went from Seaman Recruit to Captain, in the Second World War, and it was never a problem, every time he left port my sister knew it was his job and that was what he did. Times they are a changing.

[rmlew]

Have you ever seen an Afgan? They are the definition of “beaten”. How else would you explain their overwhelming desire to remain in the non-flushing-toilet, 90% illiterate, goat eating, sister marrying, in-bred, butt dragging, fight-at-the-drop-of-a-hat, seventh century. That is what “beaten “looks like.
They may rape their sisters (and honor kill her if she's pregnant) but they don't marry them. They marry their cousins.

[Terry Mross]

Conservatives won’t but the GOP will be the FIRST to run out and support “the president”...”politics end at the shore” and all that crap.

“I am who I am” - Mitt Romney

[jagusafr]

And y’all never commiserated with each other about it? I have trouble believing the military of which I’ve been a member for a total of 50 years (dependent, active and reserve) has changed so much. It certainly hasn’t in my years. It is, and always have been, the soldier’s right to bitch and moan. It is a grand tradition, and there’s just nothing wrong with it. Maybe you’ve had the misfortune to just see the whiners.

[hinckley buzzard]

I think the Mongols ran them pretty well for a couple hundred years.

[hinckley buzzard]

Every time I pick up a paper or turn on the T-V there is some one slobbering and bawling because they are being sent to a War zone. I don't remember this as having part of the scene when I and my fellow service members left for Korea 1950 to 1953.

You are right. The slobbering and bawling was done in private, and not televised back then.

[RainMan]

Nope, I am from the Peoples Republic of Seattle, and I have not made it to Norfolk since my boy first got there 4 years ago.

[Ax]

I was assigned to the Defense Attache Office at the Embassy in Jeddah 80-82. There was destroyer - don’t remember her name but she had been in the Persian Gulf for 90 days and was headed back to Norfolk. Someone got the bright idea to have the ship’s first liberty port at Jeddah. My good buddy, the Naval Attaché, went to every entity in the Embassy and outside to scrounge up all the beer available. All of us opened up our quarters to four- man parties of beer- starved sailors. To the best of my knowledge, no other US warship has since made a liberty call in Saudi Arabia.

[BooBoo1000]

Hey Bitching and Whining is a soldiers right, I am referring to all of the publicized moaning and groaning in the papers and on T-V.We commiserated a lot but not in public.

[BooBoo1000]

It looks to me like the modern fighting member, now wants to go into the service, serve 20 years behind a desk, retire and go to work for the Post Office. People now days put their family's first,and the service second, somewhere they have gotten it twisted.

[stevie_d_64]

We’ve been handling these gomers for a very long time...We have even more assets in place than we did in the 80’s...

[jagusafr]

I understand your perspective, but I’ve seen too many members, both active and reserve, volunteer for Iraq, Afghanistan and other not-so-hot places in the last 10 years to generalize. Just an example: the Air Force JAG Corps hasn’t had to involuntarily activate anybody from the reserves or Guard - ever. We always have more volunteers than there are spots to fill. And the young folks I see coming through the JAG course (JASOC) come in voluntarily, knowing they will deploy within their first 24 months. That’s more than my generation did (of course, there wasn’t an active conflict going on at that time). I’m very proud of the kids I see today - and they have nothing but scorn for the “Gee, I just came in to pay for college, I didn’t know I might actually have to fight anybody” Bravo Sierra you’re talking about.

The Air Force core values are Integrity First, Service before Self, and Excellence in all we do. I’m confident the young ‘uns get it. And thanks to you for your service.