“I’ll carry the radio next time,” said Lance Cpl. Peter Sprague. “I don’t have any kids.”

Started by Mikey · 4 posts · 789 views

  1. #1
    I read this article and I was struck hard by the last statement. My whole career in the military I have seen soldiers constantly bashed for this and that. I have jumped on a few myself for being out of uniform or certain acts they do. I mean we deal with a lot of young immature kids straight out of high school and the stuff they do are thing that you all probably had to deal with your own kids(if you had kids).

    But when the time really matters its amazing what a proud troop would do. It's usually that immature kid straight out of highschool that says, "Yes Sarge I'll do it." . There's a certain thing in your head that tells you what you need to do regardless of the threat.

    We had to fly around Iraq a bit to a few FOB's and on our way back the Chinook gunners started firing and we didn't know what was going on. Someone said we were returning fire. But later when my Major had to fly around Iraq again to visit other FOB's he told us "You don't have to go but I do", I was the only one that told him he wasn’t going alone. I didn’t even think about it, just said it. I felt like I had to go because I had a SAW and 1000 rounds. I didn't want to see no action and I am not bragging or anything, I just wanted to explain what goes through your head when there's something that needs to be done.

    I never saw anything and still had 1000 rounds when I returned. I read this article and the last statement struck me. Out of the soldiers I have had the opportunity to lead it's always your trouble maker or the worst that steps forward and says "yea Sarge I'll do it." Not saying this marine is a shit bag, just from my experience I know who's going to step forward when needed.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/04/world/mi...2&ref=world

  2. #2
    A lot of times it is the one that everyone else looks on a sh*tbag that you can count on in the time that you need to. A lot of them are sneaky but they do their job even when you give them the crap slots and a good number of them, when it comes down to it will do what you want without a worry. And after enough time and enough encouraging they will do even the worst jobs on their own with a pride and efficiency that is great.

    If you ever pass by Al'Qaim flip it a nice bird for me.. I lost too many brothers there yet I still want to go back.
  3. #3
    I really dont pay to much attention to the news down there. But NYT has good articles about what's going on. I mean usually you hear the bad things we are doing over there or just so many troops have died today. Here they tell the story of whats going on on the ground.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/02/world/mi...edic.html?fta=y
  4. #4
    Saw this today and it seemed to fit in with this thread Mikey started a while back.

    BoingBoing wrote:
    Wednesday, December 13, 2006
    Milblog project gives hundreds of laptops to wounded US soldiers

    Ad-hoc charity group Valour-IT ("Voice-Activated Laptops for OUR Injured Troops") has donated more than 700 laptops loaded with voice-recognition software to US soldiers who've lost the ability to type due to lost limbs or severe hand/arm injuries. They expect to have delivered 850 or more by Christmas. A number of blogs authored by active duty military and vets worked together to raise awareness on the project. Mark Glaser at PBS Mediashift blog says,

    It started last year when Army Captain Chuck Ziegenfuss injured both his hands and wanted to get back to blogging. His blog readers pitched in for Dragon Naturally Speaking software, and he and another blogger, FbL, put together Valour-IT and have raised more than $330,000 with two online Veteran's Day fundraisers fueled by milbloggers.

    Snip from Mark's column -- quote from a laptop-drive organizer, a female blogger who goes by the nym Fuzzybear Lioness (or FbL):

    We made our goal [to raise] $24,000 for the 10 days leading up to Veteran's Day [in 2005]. To my utter shock, we raised $100,000. I thought, 'Holy cow, what did I get myself involved in?' The VA [Veterans Affairs] and Military Order of the Purple Heart heard about us and the Undersecretary of the VA invited us to come out to visit one of the trauma units and deliver the laptops there...This year, we raised almost $230,000 in the two weeks leading up to Veteran's Day. We've delivered almost 700 laptops now. I figured this time around, with more media connections, I decided to think big and shoot for $180,000 and we blew right through that to $230,000.

    How are computers with voice-recognition software helpful for wounded soldiers?

    The psychological benefits of the laptops are just huge,” FbL said. “The medical people who work with the wounded soldiers say it has a big effect on their recovery. It’s motivational and keeps them in touch with the other soldiers who are still deployed, and it keeps them in touch with their families who might not be able to visit them. In Chuck’s case, he could do literally nothing for himself. He was a tank company commander in Iraq in charge of about 100 men. He went from that position to being in a hospital bed. It was just devastating for someone who was the big bad guy [in charge]. Now he could sit in his bed and talk to the laptop and do anything anyone else could do on a computer

    Link to Mark's PBS column, "Valour-IT, Milblogs Give Hundreds of Laptops to Wounded Soldiers." Image: Cox & Forkum cartoon, lifted from Blackfive.net, a milblog that participated in the Valour-IT project.


    http://www.boingboing.net/2006/12/13/milbl...oject_give.html