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As I wind down my time here in Iraq, I have had time to ponder and reflect on what I have seen, done and been a part of here at Balad. War is an interesting thing, as when you leave for it, you have grand dreams of doing your part and being a part of something bigger than yourself. Being able to come home and tell war stories or be a hero to those who know you. When you leave, you have a very different outlook, not wanting to talk about what went on, and feeling unworthy of any praise...

  For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces.   Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces Today! ~ MILITARY SHORT SPEAK ~             Acronyms, initialisms and abbreviations that aren't generally used in the "civilian world." What is an acronym? It is a word created from the first letter of a series of other words. It is spoken as one word.  What is an initialism? It is a word created from the first letter of a series of other words, but each letter...

The Army Reserves and the Abrams Doctrine: Unfulfilled Promise, Uncertain Futureby James Jay Carafano, Ph.D. Heritage Lecture #869April 18, 2005 (EXCERPTED)Sustaining a doctrine of doubtful worth and little promise for the future should not be high on the list of the Pentagon's priorities. Junking the policies justified by the Total Force Concept and the Abrams Doctrine may be a prerequisite for rethinking how the Reserves are organized, employed, and resourced. The idea that force structure should serve as some kind of presidential tripwire for the use of power should be abandoned, in part because of its dubious utility but primarily...

    For the freedom you enjoyed yesterday... Thank the Veterans who served in The United States Armed Forces.     Looking forward to tomorrow's freedom? Support The United States Armed Forces Today!       ~ MILITARY SHORT SPEAK ~             The military seems to have a language of its own, with many terms, acronyms, initialisms and abbreviations that aren't generally used in the "civilian world." What is an acronym? It is a word created from the first letter of a series of other words. It is spoken as one word.  What is an initialism?...