USO Canteen FReeper Style ~ New Canteen Mission Statement ~ January 21 2003

68-69TonkinGulfYatchClub and FRiends of the Canteen

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

Due to an ever changing world it is time to clarify and re-define the Canteen Mission Statement.
When the Canteen first opened on Oct 7 2001 it was in response to the tragic events of 9/11.
It also opened the first day of the war on terror.
At that time there was overwhelming support for the war effort and the military.
Now that we are on the verge of a new phase of the war on terror
there exists an enemy within that has surfaced again.
All one has to do is read or watch the news to see
the anti-American protests start again, just like in the 60's.
It is up to each one of us to counter this movement.
There are many FReepers who can and do attend the counter FReeps.


Join Operation Infinite FReep!

*Infinite FReep Bump List
Click Here to find more Operation Infinite FReeps

For those who cannot attend these FReeps there are many things we can do to support our military.

Henceforth the Canteen Mission Statement is:

Showing support AND boosting the morale
of our military and our allies military
AND the family members of the above.
AND Honoring those who have served before.

So if you see a thread, a post, have an idea etc
that aligns with the Canteen Mission please link it or post it on the daily thread.
If you are a participant in an Operation Infinite FReep please post your notices or reports here.

Know that daily active duty military and their family members come here.
Show them that WE do care and DO stand behind them and their efforts to protect our Freedom.

[tomkow6]

Good southern home-style!

[tomkow6]

NO salad for me.......I don't do salads. Meat & 'taters is fine!

[Kathy in Alaska]

MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE ALBANY, Ga. - Staff Sgt. Michael L. Diuguid, assistant drum major for the Albany Marine Band, displays the mace in one hand and holds his base guitar with the other. Diuguid got his first shot at using the mace to lead the band in a post and relief ceremony Friday, while he has been playing the bass guitar for 14 years. Photo by: Sgt. Joshua Bozeman

MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE ALBANY, Ga. - Staff Sgt. Michael Diuguid, assistant drum major for the Albany Marine Band, directs the band with the non-verbal commands of the mace in a parade Friday for the post and relief and retirement ceremony. This was the first time Diuguid performed a parade as the acting drum major. Photo by: Sgt. Joshua Bozeman

Marine marches to different beat, leads from front

Submitted by: MCLB Albany
Story Identification Number: 20031179296
Story by Sgt. Joshua Bozeman

MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE ALBANY, Ga. (January 16, 2003) -- It's easy to find a world of differences between playing a bass guitar and leading a marching band across a parade deck, but one MCLB Albany Marine says they both boil down to one thing: rhythm.

Staff Sgt. Michael L. Diuguid recently made the transition from bass guitarist to assistant drum major of the MCLB Albany Marine Band and so far, he hasn't missed a beat.

Diuguid took up the challenge of the new position when his superiors recommended he try for the position.

The staff sergeant took up the challenge, and in doing so, exchanged his four-string guitar for a mace. Not the medieval spiked ball chained to a small baton, but the drum major's tool used to help keep the rhythm and the band in step.

Diuguid was put to the test for the first time Friday when he led the band in the sergeants major post and relief/retirement ceremony.

With the drum major at the gunnery sergeant course, the duties of getting the band ready and marching them on the parade deck fell to Diuguid. Diuguid said it was a great honor for his first ceremony to be for a sergeant major with 30 years service in the Marine Corps.

"It was awesome to be able to play for someone with his [Sgt. Maj. Charles Tonn] accomplishments," said Diuguid.

In addition to the obvious work on the parade deck, Diuguid said he was responsible for many behind-the-scenes tasks as well.

"I serve as sort of a go-between for the upper and lower ranks," he said. "I make sure the job gets done and everything runs smoothly."

According to Diuguid, the band serves as an augmentation force for the military police. When the two planes struck the twin towers in New York, band members were immediately called upon to man the gates with the MPs. And if necessary, they stand ready to do it again.

According to Diuguid, even though the Marines in the band are more accustomed to carrying instruments than weapons, they are Marines first, and if called upon they are ready to take on any challenge any future wars or conflicts might bring.

"We're ready," he said sternly.

Diuguid has played the base guitar for 14 years. He attended Five Towns College, a highly focused music school in New York, and entered the Marine Corps as a bass guitarist, which is no easy task.

"There is one bass guitarist for each band, and there are 12 bands in the Marine Corps," said Diuguid.

The musical veteran said he joined the Marine Corps simply because he wanted to be the best. Eight years, six ranks and numerous accolades later, he still feels he has a long way to go to reach his original goal.

"I'll have to do 20 years before I accomplish what I set out to do," he said with a smile, "though I do want to keep my options open."

Diuguid said he is looking forward to one day being a drum major, but is also interested in other areas of Marine Corps leadership.

"I would like to do MSG duty[Marine Security Guard duty at an embassy or consulate] or go to the drill field," he said. And as a staff noncommissioned officer in the band, he already has experience training younger Marines.

"The staff NCOs in the band have been certified as instructors with the baton," he said. "So if it comes down to it, we can train the Marines here to use it to aid with security aboard the base."

Diuguid is married to Jocelyn and they have one child, Morgan. But as long as he is a member of the band, the staff sergeant will have a very large extended family to keep in step.

[Radix]

The Bunny & Snake ... a parable


Once upon a time, in a nice little forest, there
lived an orphaned bunny and an orphaned snake. A
surprising coincidence was that both were blind from
birth.

One day, the bunny was hopping through the
forest, and the snake was slithering through the
forest, when the bunny tripped over the snake and
fell down. This, of course, knocked the snake about
quite a bit.

"Oh, my," said the bunny, "I'm terribly sorry. I
didn't mean to hurt you. I've been blind since birth,
so I can't see where I'm going. In fact, since
I'm also an orphan, I don't even know what I am."

"It's quite okay," replied the snake. Actually, my
story is much the same as yours. I, too, have been
blind since birth, and also never knew my mother.
Tell you what, maybe I could kind of slither over
you, and figure out what you are, so at least you'll
have that going for you."

"Oh, that would be wonderful," replied the bunny.

So the snake slithered all over the bunny, and said,
"Well, you're covered with soft fur; you have
really long ears; your nose twitches; and you have
a soft cottony tail. I'd say that you must be a
bunny."

"Oh, thank you! Thank you," cried the bunny in
obvious excitement. The bunny suggested to the snake,
"Maybe I could feel you with my paw, and
help you the same way you've helped me."

So the bunny felt the snake all over and then
remarked, "Well, you're smooth, cold, and you
have a forked tongue, no backbone and no balls.
I'd say you must be a politician, an attorney, or
possibly someone in upper management."

[Kathy in Alaska]

Sink or swim

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan -- Senior Airman Robert Cordell swims across the pool while wearing his anti-exposure suit during water survival training here. The swimming pool training provides students a realistic environment for using life-support equipment in water. Cordell is a C-130 Hercules loadmaster from the base's 36th Airlift Squadron. (Photo by Master Sgt. Val Gempis)

Don't move

AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy -- Airman Antwone Hymes from the 31st Security Forces Squadron here takes aim from a turret while on patrol. Hymes mans an M-249 mounted to the tactical truck which posts in various areas during random anti-terrorism measures protecting the base populous from intruders. (Photo by Airman 1st Class Isaac G. L. Freeman)

[KineticKitty]

Sounds good to me.

Does this mean you would like me to post the results from the letter writing campaign we have going for some companies & battalions here at Fort Hood as well? (in a few weeks of course, after it's completed & to give snail mail a chance to be counted as well.)

[Kathy in Alaska]

Yeeeeee haaaaaaa

F. E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. -- Tech. Sgt. Chris Cypher gets Runnin' Rabid airborne at a rally. Cypher is assigned to the 90th Services Squadron here. (Courtesy photo)

Night fire

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan -- Members of the 82nd Airborne Division, Alpha Company, Ft. Bragg, N.C., set off 60 mm mortars here. The mortars illuminated the night sky and gave the troops in the observation tower a better look at the outer perimeter. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Cherie A. Thurlby)

[Kathy in Alaska]

sg, does this mean you DON'T have the crud? When you retired last evening, you weren't sure. I'm glad to see you up and attem.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Break out the shovels

PEASE AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, N.H. -- Snowbanks are piled upwards of 30 feet in some locations here Jan. 12. The base is home to the 157th Air Refueling Wing and is strategically located in southern New Hampshire, easing refueling support for trans-Atlantic flights. (Photo by Tech. Sgt. Timothy Psaledakis)

Ruff job

SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- Staff Sgt. Samuel Pruett keeps a close eye on his partner, Dasty, as he runs through the tunnel during training at the military working dog obstacle course here Jan. 10. Both man and dog are assigned to the base's 4th Security Forces Squadron. (Photo by Staff Sgt. James W. Arrowood)

[snippy_about_it]

Hello all, I'm home from work. I like the mission statement Tonk and your right, we have to fight the fight here at home, too.


Time to catch up on this thread...

[snippy_about_it]

Ha Ha! The moods of a man...short and sweet.

We ladies are so complex.

[snippy_about_it]

Post 9, that's beautiful graphic Sam. Very moving.

[SAMWolf]

Thanks snippy.

[snippy_about_it]

Whoo hoo, another ride with bells and whistles. Looks like fun.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Thanks, aomagrat, for today's history of the USS Olympia. And now she's a National Historic Landmark.

[southerngrit]

"does this mean you DON'T have the crud?"

I don't have the crud, the crud has ME!!!

...or, at least, if I surrender to it, it will!! No surrender in my future - I don't have TIME to be sick.

[TEXOKIE]

It's ok, Tom, you dont have to have salad, but I'll bring it anyway, because SOME of us actually LIKE it!!! ;-)

Thanks for the invite, Ms Grit! Just like a true belle of the south, you are gracious in the face of less than gracious behavior!! You were coerced, but that does not make my acceptance less than sincere!

[TEXOKIE]

Gotta turn puter over to my other half for a while...I've been rather monopolizing it!

BAD TEX BAD TEX!!

[Kathy in Alaska]

I'm with you on that. I can't fit being sick into my schedule. I hope you feel better quickly.

[Bethbg79]

Hey! I hope y'all are having a wonderful day :)