USO Canteen FReeper Style ~ Military Reaction to the Commander in Chief ~ February 22 2003

Lt. Commander Bill Goss, USN (Ret) ^ | 68-69TonkinGulfYatchClub and FRiends of the Canteen

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

On Feb 13th, 2003 President George W. Bush gave a speech to the thousands of Sailors
and their families attached to ships homeported at the U.S. Naval Station in Mayport, Florida.
Here are some of their reactions.

"What did you think of your Commander-in-Chief's speech?"

Here's their response:

1. "It was a very good speech. It gave that camaraderie back to us…I think we lost it for a while our ship was getting refurbished. His speech gave us back that 'umph!' we needed. I liked how he said we are going to go kick Saddam's butt. Saddam's been pussyfooting around and the United Nation's told him that he has had his last chance…the people of Iraq aren't the problem, it's their leader and his underlings."

2. "I'm highly encouraged by what the President said. I like how our Commander-in-Chief came down to the 'deck plate level' to talk to us, because we're the ones that have to do his will, and he showed that he cares by coming to see us. He gave us confidence to go do what we've got to do."

3. "He gave a great speech. He said 'thanks' to the troops here; he sent a message to the U.N. and a message to Saddam Hussein. The people onboard my ship are going to be talking about it for days and also reading about it on Military.com. Now we've got to head back to the ship to get it ready…"

4. "The President isn't afraid to say what needs to be said to get the job done. He's not politicking and not mincing words. We don't need that -- we've got way too many serious things going on. We've got countries like France and Germany that want to play games right now and they've a record of doing that, so I'm not surprised. It's good to have a leader that's willing to step up to the plate when we need it most and a speech like this for the 'Blue-shirts' means everything to them because they're getting ready to leave their families for six months and it's great for them to know that their leader is behind them."

5. "The President's speech was very exciting and very emotional. We're very nervous at home wondering about what's going to happen. I think we should stop politicking and go get the job done, so my husband can get back home and let us continue on with our family life." (Quote from the wife of a Navy helicopter pilot.)

[Kathy in Alaska]

I love seeing pictures of our President "at work" with our military men and women "at work".

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

[snippy_about_it]

Good night fellow Canteeners.

Good Morning, Good Afternoon and Good Evening to our Troops wherever you may be, know this, we love you and support you!

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

Posted on yesterdays thread

"I just wanted to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for all that you and the FReepers are doing for our troops, but especially for my husband, bkwells. I know he appreciates all of the support, and to send him packages of good stuff means a lot to him. The troops need to know that they are supported and appreciated, and no one that I have seen has done a better job than all of you. Once again, thank you so much!"

Thank You for your kind words.
It is the other FReepers in here who make the Canteen what it is.
I just have the honor of opening the doors each day.
Thank You for joining the ranks of the other military wives who post here.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

Sweet Dreams
God Bless You

[Dubya]

Article published Feb 22, 2003
Camp Fox Marines fight complacency

Editor's Note: Trista Talton is on assignment with U.S. Marines in Kuwait.

Camp Fox, Kuwait - A map of southeastern Iraq tacked onto Col. Robert Songer's bookshelf is a subtle reminder of the mission the 2nd Force Service Support Group is expected to carry out should the United States go to war.

The chief of staff for the group oversees the estimated 4,000 Marines and sailors that make up the group in this camp tucked in a remote area of the Kuwaiti desert. It is here that Marines a few miles from the front lines will get the supplies they need to carry out a war.
"Anything they need, from food to medical supplies, we provide it to them," Col. Songer said Friday over a cup of hot tea in his tent. "Our job is to get it for the people on the front lines."

Supplies continue to be offloaded from ships that sailed from the state port in Wilmington to a port in the Persian Gulf miles from the camp. Convoys of contracted flat-bed trucks toting containers and military vehicles slowly drive along the gravel-covered sand, churning dust in their wake.

Everything from bottled water, spare parts for repair, fuel trucks and ammunition are being hauled into this camp. If the president declares war, many Marines and sailors here may be pushed north to the front lines.

They have the capabilities to pack supplies in crates that can be dropped from airplanes and parachuted to the battle lines. Marines skilled in the fields of communications, maintenance, medicine and dentistry, security and transportation are based here.
"It's all one effort. If they need support up there, we'll provide the support. That's why we have such a variety of skills," Col. Songer said.

The troops continue to set up tents to be their work places and pull equipment from containers - keeping the Marines and sailors busy as the days stretch into weeks and months. The sense here is to get the job done and return home.

"The Marines here are ready," Col. Songer said. "I think everyone over here is ready to go."
That being said, if the wait for word from the president runs an extended period of time, preventing complacency among the troops will be the goal, Col. Songer said.

"It'll be a challenge. The longer we're here, it'll be a challenge to maintain our peak readiness. We're going to continue to train. Every day we're going to get better and better at it," Col. Songer said.
More tents are a sign of additional services – small, but important conveniences such as a camp store, a gym for weight training and a library full of donated books from a used book store in Jacksonville.
When Col. Songer reported to the area for Desert Storm, he didn't enjoy such amenities. He was the executive officer of a transportation battalion living out of tarp-covered holes.

"It doesn't get much better than this," he said as he looked around his tent.
Beyond the razor wire, past a sand berm setting the camp's boundaries, lies the threat of a possible assault from Iraq and people in this country who do not support the U.S. military presence.
The threat level rises when Marines leave the camp for specific duties. Marines and sailors here will not get liberty - short trips away from the camp. Those who are required to make the nearly hour drive along the sand road to a paved highway travel in pairs of vehicles and carry loaded weapons.

"The odds, I think, if you've got some terrorist who wants to drive up shooting, it's pretty hard to stop that," Col. Songer said.

Trista Talton 343-2070
trista.talton@wilmingtonstar.com

[snippy_about_it]

Hey, Brian's wife tag on to the last of yesterday's thread, I almost missed her. I responded from the other thread. Thanks for posting it over here so everyone could see.

Now I really am signing off. Goodnight.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Hi, BIS!! Hope you had a good day despite the rain. Is this on top of snow? The rain graphic is so cute.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

Hope you are feeling ok.
*HUG*

[fatima]

Thanks you friends for your prayers,they really helped.

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

I'm glad to hear our prayers helped bring comfort.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good night and sleep well, snippy. Thank you so much for all you do for the Canteen and our troops. God bless you good.

[firewalk]

Hope you had a good day despite the rain. Is this on top of snow?

Yes (thank you for asking) & Yes (my driveway looked like a river today)

The rain graphic is so cute.

found it on the net....someday I'll be original enough to make my own (-:

hope you feel better by the way....

[Dubya]

Soldiers of Britain's Third Battalion, part of the of the 16th Air Assault Brigade, take part in a mock firefight before departing for the Gulf. MAX NASH, AP

[Dubya]

Lance Cpl. Christopher Willis, 23, right, from the 8th Engineer Support Battalion helps lift part of an 80-foot bridge while he and other U.S. Marines construct the structure at Camp Peleliu in the desert north of Kuwait City. JOHN MOORE, AP

[Dubya]

Marine Corps. veteran Brian Coss of Greenwood, Ind., left, salutes while holding his son Jake in Indianapolis, during a rally to show support for United States soldiers preparing for a possible war with Iraq. JOHN HARRELL, AP

[Dubya]

[HiJinx]

Oops...I figured the Powerpoint show was too big, so I deleted it and redid the show in HTML.

Anyone that wants to see it now, you'll need to click this link instead to open the show in a new window. Click each slide to go to the next, there are 31 slides in all!

[Dubya]

Good show HiJinx

[Dubya]