Free Republic

One point we’ve been particularly keen on driving home since the beginning of Russian airstrikes in Syria is that The Kremlin’s move to step in on behalf of Bashar al-Assad along with Vladimir Putin’s open “invitation” to Washington with regard to joining forces in the fight against terrorism effectively let the cat out of the proverbial bag. That is, it simply wasn’t possible for the US to explain why the Pentagon refused to partner with the Russians without admitting that i) the government views Assad, Russia, and Iran as a greater threat than ISIS, and ii) Washington and its regional...

Former United States Marine (once a Marine, always a Marine) and Iraq War Veteran Jon Hammar endured much in his tour in the streets of Fallujah, but now he spends most of his time chained to a bed in a Mexican jail on trumped up gun charges that could result in twelve years in jail. Not surprisingly his former commander-in-chief Barack Obama has been absolutely silent on the matter, even though he was arrested on August 13. Didn’t anyone tell you this? Hammar took to Mexico with a friend to surf, as it was the only thing that seemed to...

The wife of a South Carolina soldier who disappeared from his home Saturday night says he has been spotted in Indiana. Pamela Larson, the wife of Sgt. Robert Larson posted late Thursday night on the "Help Find Sgt. Robert Larson" Facebook page that he was seen in Gary, Indiana on October 9th. The post also included surveillance photos of a man Larson believes is her husband. The local ground search has been put on hold while authorities investigate leads that Sgt. Larson may be out of state. Calhoun County Sheriff Thomas Summers on Thursday afternoon said investigators have received tips...

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) seems to have it out for our military. The department is using the city’s pointless firearm registration mandate to harass, arrest and jail servicemen. Army 1st Sergeant Matt Corrigan was woken in the middle of the night, forced out of his home, arrested, had his home ransacked, had his guns seized and was thrown in jail -- where he was lost in the prison system for two weeks -- all because the District refuses to recognize the meaning of the Second Amendment. This week, the city dropped all charges against Sgt. Corrigan, but the damage...

NEW YORK -- Like any other golden retriever seeking a treat, Tuesday nudged his owner's hand with his snout one recent morning and waited expectantly. Luis Carlos Montalvan got up from a chair in his small Brooklyn apartment and walked to the kitchen. Tuesday followed close behind, eyes fixed on a white cabinet. The retriever sat alertly as Mr. Montalvan, an Iraq war veteran with severe post-traumatic stress disorder, reached for a vial of pills, lined a half-dozen on the table and took them one by oneThe dog had gotten what he wanted: When the last pill was swallowed, he...

Bush to Appear on 'Deal or No Deal' to Surprise US Soldier By Michael Chapman CNSNews.com Managing Editor April 18, 2008 (CNSNews.com) - President Bush has taped a surprise "good luck" video for a U.S. soldier, Captain Joe Kobes, who is a contestant on the popular television game show, "Deal or No Deal," White House spokesman Tony Fratto said Friday. The president's video will air on Monday's episode of NBC's "Deal or No Deal," and the network will be previewing clips from the video over the weekend.

Surely most critics of the war still have a sense of decency.On August 19, the New York Times published an op-ed by seven enlisted soldiers critical of the Iraq war. At midnight on August 24, THE WEEKLY STANDARD posted on our website a response by seven Iraq vets. The Times had rejected the vets' response. The piece carried the straightforward headline "Iraq Vets Respond . . . to the New York Times seven." It was a sober rejoinder to the arguments in the Times op-ed. It suggested the antiwar soldiers' analysis was incomplete and "misguided." The vets emphasized, "We understand...

Curtis and Shari Miles reach for a lifeline whenever they are asked about Paul. They take and hold each other's hand. Married 27 years, this East Texas couple understands how much such a small expression of support, of togetherness, means. After their son Paul was arrested and jailed after a two-week stay at a psychiatric hospital, the parents weren't allowed to touch him, much less embrace him, as they did in December 2005. That's when the tall, lanky soldier arrived at Fort Hood to a hero's welcome after an 11-month deployment to Iraq

An Iraq war veteran has been sentenced to six months in jail for kissing a 14-year-old girl. He could have gotten ten years in prison. A judge in Georgia yesterday decided the mandatory ten-year sentence was too harsh. He set aside Staff Sergeant Jimmy Brown's conviction for child enticement and allowed him to plead to lesser charges. He'll still have to register as a sex offender and abide by at least 20 lifetime restrictions on residency, registration and conduct.

A UA freshman and Iraq war veteran was shot dead Friday night after a car accident after leaving the Ying Yang Twins' Homecoming concert, police said. The death is Tuscaloosa's seventh homicide this month following a rash of shootings in recent weeks. Conrad Hollis, 21, was a passenger in a maroon Nissan Pathfinder that rear-ended an unidentified vehicle carrying a man and a woman. The drivers agreed that there was no damage and drove on instead of reporting the accident, Tuscaloosa Police Chief Ken Swindle said. When the vehicles reached the next red light, the man stepped out of the...

ANNOUNCEMENT: Inspirational Iraqi War Veteran to Speak in Westminster, Maryland. "Christian Bagge Day at North Carroll Community School" I read a story about this young man, Christian Bagge, earlier this summer. The summarized version is that Christian was a member of the Army, (Alpha Company, 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry). He was seriously injured during a clearing mission near Kirkuk when an IED exploded under his HUMVEE. Unfortunately, as a result of this tragedy, Christian lost parts of both of his legs. He was sent to Walter Reed Medical Center to recover and receive prosthetic legs, which he also had to...

Marine fatally shot at Miramar barracks SIGNONSANDIEGO NEWS SERVICES 10:37 a.m. January 19, 2006 MIRAMAR – A Marine was found dead of a gunshot wound Tuesday in his barracks at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.Sgt. Francisco D. Aquino, 25, of Hidalgo, N.M., was declared dead in his room at 8:32 a.m. Tuesday, according Sgt. Nathan LaForte.The Naval Criminal Investigative Service was handling the probe, LaForte said.Aquino was an auto mechanic assigned to Marine Air Control Squadron 1, Marine Air Control Group 38, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, he said.Aquino was deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom from February to March...