***Operation Infinite Freedom - Situation Room - 7 JUN 03/Day 80***

Everywhere TexKat goes, or Ragtime Cowgirl transcribes... | 7 JUN 03 | null and void

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

 

 

Army's `first lady' receives White Plume award

Patty Shinseki, wife of the Army's retiring chief of staff, receives roses following presentation of the "White Plume" award for her MWR service to soldiers. (USACFSC photo)
(Click on the photo to view a higher resolution photo)

by Harriet Rice

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (Army News Service, June 6, 2003) - Patty Shinseki, wife of Army Chief of Staff Gen. Eric K. Shinseki who retires June 11, received the Army's highest award for service to Morale, Welfare and Recreation.

Mrs. Shinseki received the Order of the White Plume at the U.S. Army Community and Family Support Center May 30.

"Today we recognize the contributions of a lady who is clearly one of the staunchest supporters, not only of this organization, but also of our MWR programs," said USACFSC Chief Operating Officer Peter F. Isaacs as he prepared to present the White Plume.

Isaacs said he remembers his first association with the Shinsekis when he was on active duty and in the same 1978 class of students as then Maj. Shinseki at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.

Even then, said Isaacs, "It was clear that the Shinseki command team was going to go a long, long way."

In 1999, Shinseki became the 34th chief of staff of the Army.

"In the ensuing years, in addition to being a devoted mother of two, Patty gave unstintingly of her time and talents," Isaacs continued. "Her 38 years of dedication and commitment will be long remembered."

Isaacs described the criteria for earning the White Plume: "It's simple. All you have to do is make a significant and lasting contribution to the morale and welfare of soldiers and families," he said. "The back of the medal is engraved with the words 'for service to the troops.'"

Addressing the Hawaii-born former teacher, he said, "As a military spouse, volunteer and vocal influencer, you provided leadership, vision and support to so many programs including Army Community Service, the Army Family Action Plan, and Army Family Team Building."

The award also recognized Mrs. Shinseki as an advocate for Army children and youth. She served as an advisor to the 1999-2000 Secondary Education Transition Study and was committed to serving as the voice of Army teens through the Army Teen Panel, a vehicle for youth to communicate with Army senior leadership.

In addition to the White Plume, Mrs. Shinseki also received individual awards from the directors of USACFSC's Family Programs and Child and Youth Services as well as from members of the current Army Teen Panel.

~~~

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Cal Guard convoys move across Iraq - AV unit faces fire, recovers big vehicles (OUTSTANDING!)
Antelope Valley Press ^ | June 7, 2003 | DENNIS ANDERSON

BAGHDAD - The rounds started popping in a village in the Baghdad suburbs called Al-Musaib, reputedly a holdout hotbed neighborhood of Saddam Hussein supporters.

The convoy of California National Guard trucks pulled off by the side of the road to recon a route into a U.S. Army base called "Dogwood," but by dark, there was no sign of the base. So it was time to get the convoy security out - M-16s and squad automatic weapons, light machine guns that fire a 500-round belt of 5.56 mm ammunition.

There it was again. No, not firecrackers. Small arms fire from Al-Musaib.

Tracer fire has a neat, flaming red trajectory, and it usually counts as a fifth round fired. So, it was reassuring that the tracer fire was arcing skyward into the night. It seemed like the locals were just celebrating, or letting the convoy know there were still plenty of guns in the neighborhood that weren't in American hands.

"You're sure that's not aimed at us?" Sgt. Richard Mosley of Palm Springs asked.

A few minutes earlier, a crowd of curious, friendly children crowded round the convoy truckers who were deployed at the side of the road, brandishing their M-16s.

"Saddam matt!" the children cried, crossing their throats with their fingers. "Saddam - Ali Baba!" Saddam is dead. Saddam is a thief.

~~~

Also included in the stories of those returning from convoys were accounts of friendly encounters with Iraqis, often with children by the roadside; the frequent sighting of camel caravans on old "silk road" routes; a couple of soldiers who rode a donkey with the locals; and Mosley, who donated his family bicycle with "Baghdad or Bust" marked on it to a village youngster.

"Anyone would have done the same," he said. "I promised my daughter that I'd ride that bicycle in Baghdad, and then that I'd buy her a new one when I get home."

~~~

Waiting outside Camp Taji, Mavropoulos reflected on his experience as an independent trucker.

"It's taking longer to get onto the base than it does to get through the truck scales at Banning," he jibed.

For Mavropoulos, the journey to Baghdad and points north, east, west and south culminated a personal odyssey that began on Sept. 11, 2001. More than 20 years out of the service, he rejoined the National Guard "because I was outraged."

Forty-four years old at the time, he wondered if he were too old. Not if he could pass a physical, he was told. So he put his own independent trucking business in cold storage and moved fitfully toward his date in a combat zone, nearly two years after the terror attacks.

"It's all worth it, now that we're here in Baghdad doing our job," Mavropoulos said. "Most of the time we spent (training) at Camp Roberts was a waste, but now that we're here, I'll make this truck do things they didn't know it could do."

Mavropoulos surveyed the former Iraqi base, with its bombed hangars and cratered landing field. He smiled. "Now that it's a U.S. base, we'll make it nice."

~~~

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Dixie Chicks ignored (and still in the doghouse)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution ^ | 06/07/03

The Dixie Chicks, country radio's most popular act three months ago, remain personas non grata. The trio's fourth single "Godspeed (Sweet Dreams)" off the "Home" album is being roundly ignored by most country radio stations. Only seven stations out of 140 played it a dozen or more times last week, according to Mediabase 24/7, a tracking firm.

~~~

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

`Sarge' wins Lucas Oil Nationals

CHICAGO (Army News Service, June 6 - Tony "The Sarge" Schumacher's cell phone has been quite active since his win last weekend at the Lucas Oil National Hot Rod Association race in his hometown of Joliet, Ill.

Among the calls from well-wishers was one he did not anticipate -- from his U.S. Army Racing NASCAR teammate and friend, Jerry Nadeau.

Nadeau, who is recovering from injuries sustained in a crash more than a month ago at Richmond, watched Schumacher pilot his United States Army Top Fuel dragster to victory on television and just had to offer congratulations.

"It was a pleasant surprise to hear from Jerry," said Schumacher. "He sounded good."

Nadeau was released today from the Charlotte (N.C.) Institute of Rehabilitation and will continue his recovery as an outpatient at CIR, officials said, with a current rehabilitation schedule of five days per week.

Nadeau's substitute driver for the No. 01 United States Army Pontiac, Mike Wallace, had a top-20 finish June 1 in the MBNA Armed Forces Family 400 at Dover International Speedway in Dover, Del.

Wallace, after jumping a restart, fought back to finish 19th in only his second points race for MB2 Motorsports/U.S. Army Racing.

"The Sarge" won the Lucas Oil Route 66 Nationals June 1 by beating the reigning POWERADE champion, Larry Dixon, with a pass of 4.530-seconds to Dixon's 4.615-seconds at 321.50 mph.

"I can't put into words right now what I am feeling," said Schumacher. "To win here in hometown is awesome."

~~~

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

SGM Course graduates largest class ever

by Phil Tegtmeier

FORT BLISS, Texas (Army News Service, June 4, 2003) - An audience of more than 1,000 family members, instructors and Army leaders assigned worldwide saluted the 624 graduates of the latest resident Sergeants Major Course during their commencement ceremony at the El Paso Convention Center, May 29.

This class, Class 53, was the largest class to graduate in the academy's 32-year history.

Students attend the course as a permanent change of station. They have the option of bringing their families to El Paso while they attend the course. Most of the graduates have already left the academy to take up leadership or senior enlisted advisor positions in military commands worldwide. Others will remain at the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy, Fort Bliss, Texas, until assignments open for them.

"I'll be working at the academy for four to six months until my assignment orders come in," said Sgt. Maj. Ian A. Mann, one of the graduates. "I'm glad the school's over, and now I look forward to getting back out into the field and applying what I've learned in the last nine months."

Mann is also looking forward to spending time with his family, including his son, Marine Cpl. David Mann. David is assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Twenty-Nine Palms, Calif. His unit just returned from action in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and David was on hand at the graduation ceremony. The two posed for photographs amidst a throng of family, friends and graduates who gathered outside after the ceremony.

~~~

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Prime Minister Chretien Wins Dubious Honour of Stupidest Person in Canada ^

AOL News | June 7 2003 | Hayley Mick

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Belmont Stakes Live thread - A Funny thing happened on the way to the Triple Crown?
Belmont Stakes Website ^ | June 7, 2003

 

Race Time: 5:38 p.m. Central time. NBC will televise.

Funny Cide, a New York-bred gelding, will break from post position No. 4 in the 1 1/2-mile race. He must beat five horses to become the 12th winner of the Visa Triple Crown and the first since Affirmed in 1978. If he can win the third jewel, Sackatoga Stable will receive the $5 million Visa Triple Crown Challenge bonus.

 

1 Empire Maker (Juddmonte Farms Inc., Robert Frankel, Jerry Bailey) 4
2 Supervisor (Rodney Lundock, Linda Rice, John Velazquez) 11
3 Scrimshaw (Bob & Beverly Lewis, D. Wayne Lukas, Gary Stevens) 8
4 Funny Cide (Sackatoga Stable, Barclay Tagg, Jose Santos) 3-5
5 Dynever (C. Wills & P. Karches, Christophe Clement, Edgar Prado) 7
6 Ten Most Wanted (J. Chisholm, et al., Wallace Dollase, Pat Day) 8

 

[TexKat]

U.S. Troops Attacked in Falluja, Kill One Iraqi

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. forces have killed an Iraqi after coming under attack with rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons in the restive town of Falluja, the U.S. military said on Saturday.

Unidentified gunmen opened fire on the soldiers near a mosque in Falluja, 45 miles west of Baghdad late on Friday night. Troops returned fire, killing one attacker and another fled the scene, U.S. Central Command said in a statement on its Web site.

The soldiers suffered no casualties, it said.

Falluja is a cauldron of hostility to U.S. forces, who killed 15 townspeople in two clashes there in April after a U.S.-led invasion toppled president Saddam Hussein.

There have been several attacks on troops since then, which the U.S. military has blamed on supporters of Saddam.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

CENTCOM:

 

June 7, 2003
Release Number: 03-06-27


TASK FORCE 3/15 SOLDIERS ATTACKED IN FALLUJAH (No Coalition troops injured)

BAGHDAD, IRAQ -- Task Force 3/15 soldiers received automatic weapons fire from unknown assailants near a mosque in Fallujah, Iraq, yesterday at approximately 11:30 p.m. Additionally, TF 3/15 soldiers received rocket propelled grenade (RPG) fire from another location on the opposite side of the street.

Task Force soldiers immediately returned fire, killing one individual, while the other attacker fled the scene. No Coalition forces were injured.

The soldiers were patrolling on the northern edge of town when the ambush occurred.

Pockets of resistance remain in the region between Fallujah and Ar Ramadi and they appear to be coordinated at the local level. Coalition forces continue to conduct active patrols to locate these pockets and destroy or capture the remnants of the former regime.

[Timeout]

Maureen Dowd's new column is out.

She reveals that the Bushies call John Edwards "The Breck Girl".

LOL!

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

EMPIRE MAKER BEATS FUNNY CIDE, 10 MOST WANTED SECOND, FUNNY CIDE THIRD.

[null and void]

Well, there go the stud fees...

[Timeout]

Time stayed with her:

What's in her cheeks, those ole billin' records?

[DollyCali]

true to my love of movies.. here is a link for a slow Saturday...

http://www.palletmastersworkshop.com/flipside.html

Nully, I may have missed it, but who are the vets(I am guessing) in first photo?

[DollyCali]

She air brushes up well !

Too bad one can just see her soul.. not her face

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Oh, my..that's good. J.E.~>"Eva Breck." (^:

I remember when MS. Breck (pro-partial birth abortion and gay marriage)

was the favorite on Sunday Morning news shows as the VLWC attempted

to remake their "boy" into BC #2.  Cruel divisiveness is NOT gravitas.

 

 

Conde's on 3 different news shows tomorrow.

 

No MS. Breck.

Courtesy of http://www.nationalreview.com/

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

FN: Steve Harrigan in the Congo: "We are here inside the UN compound - several thousand Congolese refugees who found themselves in the middle of a gun battle this morning...(video- Steve grabs camera , takes the lead "Come on"..as gunfire breaks out). "There are two different ethnic groups fighting for power...(firing from) three different locations today....a lot of the journalists went into the compound....huddled down behind concrete walls...the UN "Peacekeepers" did not fire a single shot today because they say the UN compound was not under fire." "UN basically sitting on its hands here. Steve Harrigan, Republic of Congo for FoxNews."

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Iconoclast featured her, too:

TODAY'S BREAKING PARODY NEWS STORIES:

HILLARY THOUGHT KILLING BILL MIGHT HURT HER SENATE BID

Parody. (or not)

[Timeout]

Just what do they even have a U.N. compound for if all they're gonna do is hide in it?

I'll never understand the do-gooder, Kofi-lovin', peacenik crowd.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Soldiers strike gold at Golden Gloves

Staff Sgt. DeAndrey Abron (blue and black) keeps the pressure on Detroit's Johnathon Banks to win a unanimous 5-0 decision in the 178-pound finale of the 2003 Golden Gloves National Tournament of Champions. (photo by Tim Hipps)
(Click on the photo to view a higher resolution photo)

by Tim Hipps

LAS VEGAS (Army News Service, June 4, 2003) - All-Army boxers Staff Sgt. DeAndrey Abron and Pfc. Clarence Joseph secured berths in the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials by winning gold medals May 31 in the 2003 Golden Gloves of America National Tournament of Champions.

Abron spent a rugged week in Las Vegas dusting the rust from a long hiatus from the ring for Basic Noncommissioned Officers Course and was sharp enough to defeat Detroit's Johnathon Banks, 5-0, in the 178-pound finale at Orleans Arena.

Joseph stormed through the biggest tournament of his life to record a 5-0 decision over Nevada's Jesus Gonzalez Jr. for the 165-pound national championship.

Sgt. Torrence Daniels also reached the Golden Gloves finals but settled for silver after losing 5-0 to California's Sergio Ramos.

Spc. Aaron Bensinger lost a 4-1 semifinal decision to Texas' Jose Orozco at 132 pounds. Orozco finished runner-up in the six-day, single-elimination tournament to champion Anthony Peterson of Washington, D.C.

Spc. Edward Joseph, Clarence's older brother, dropped a 4-1 quarterfinal decision to hometown boxer Abdon Lozano Jr., who was eliminated in the 152-pound semis by Florida's Andre Berto, who won the Golden Boy award as best boxer in the tournament.

The Army's Golden Gloves champions, both members of the World Class Athlete Program, were relieved to have qualified for the 2004 U.S. Olympic Boxing Trials to determine spots on Team USA.

Abron, 29, a military policeman from Youngstown, Ohio, who was bothered all week by a sore right arm, unleashed a devastating left hook to win his final bout.

"Coach helped me a lot tonight by telling me to rely on my left hook. It's strong, but I should've been using it all tournament," Abron said of his championship victory over Banks. "I didn't plan it, but it worked out that way. He didn't see the left hook coming. He hadn't seen it the whole tournament so it helped me surprise him a little bit."

~~~