posted May 13, 2006 01:18 AM              

By JoAnn Wypijewski, AlterNet. Posted May 9, 2006.

Private First Class Matthew Scarano, all of 21-years-old, was killed sometime between 9 PM Saturday and 4:45 AM Sunday, March 19, 2006. But he wasn't killed by any insurgent force. He wasn't in Iraq or Afghanistan or even, despite his rank and year-plus of service, active in the United States Army. Matthew Scarano died in his bunk, in the barracks of Bravo Battery 95th, Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

The Army officially lists his cause of death as "still under investigation" but he was as surely a casualty of the War on Iraq as any of the 2,400 US soldiers killed in action. In 2005 he had injured his shoulder during basic training, and on March 1 of that year entered the netherworld of Fort Sill's Physical Training and Rehabilitation Program, or PTRP. It is estimated that 15 percent to 37 percent of men and 38 percent to 67 percent of women sustain at least one injury due to the rigors of basic training. Although Fort Sill's is believed to be the worst, the Army has PTRP units also at Fort Knox, Fort Jackson, Fort Leonard Wood and Fort Benning.

More than a year after he entered PTRP, Scarano was still there, no closer to being healed but still subject to the restrictive rules and routine humiliations associated with basic training, still plagued by what he described in an email of March 7, 2006, as "chronic, piercing and sometimes debilitating pain." The Army considered PFC Scarano a trainee; he and the 39 other soldiers in PTRP at Fort Sill considered themselves prisoners.

PTRP is where the Army, desperate for bodies in a time of war, puts broken enlistees. There they are warehoused, in anticipation of the time they manage to recuperate, pass the grueling PT (physical training) test and can be sent to battle; or fail the test, try again, fail again, stumble through the bureaucratic labyrinth until the point they are chaptered out or medically discharged. All were injured in basic training or advanced individual training and so have yet to be granted "permanent party" status in the Army.

Shortly before Scarano's death, the inspector general at Fort Sill had been forced to undertake an internal investigation of the program for assault and abuse of soldiers, inadequate medical attention, command irresponsibility and overall incompetence. To that list (which I should note is unofficial) they may now add negligence and wrongful death. As of the end of March, the Army wouldn't comment on its investigation or on what killed Scarano, although I did receive a pro forma response saying the matter was "still under investigation." But in the week prior to his death, his comrades in the PTRP barracks say, Army doctors had doubled the dose of his pain medication, Fentanyl, an analgesic patch 80 times more potent than morphine, whose advertised possible side effects include difficulty breathing, severe weakness and unconsciousness.

On the night of March 18, according to Pvt. Richard Thurman, Scarano appeared quite pale and weak. However, Scarano had been in the program for so long, longer than anyone else in terms of continuous service, and was often so visibly suffering or so drugged up as to drool and gaze vacantly, that his infirmity on this particular night did not cause special alarm. Shortly after lights out, at 9, Pvt. Clayton Howell noticed that Scarano was lying on his bad shoulder and turned him so he would not be in greater pain when he awoke. At that time Scarano was breathing. When lights came on the next morning and everyone else had risen from their bunks, Howell again went to Scarano; by then he was dead.

What happened next typifies the trapped situation of injured soldiers at Fort Sill's PTRP.

Someone handed Pvt. Thurman a cell phone, saying, "Call your mom." No one encouraged him to call the medic, or the chaplain, or the sergeant, or anyone on post. Phoning at all meant breaking the rules, as did having a cell phone, contraband for soldiers in PTRP. Thurman crouched in a corner and, amid the near-panic of the barracks, hurriedly dialed his mom, Pat deVarennes.

DeVarennes, an apprentice dog groomer who lives near Sarasota, Florida, is about the only person the PTRP soldiers can confidently regard as their advocate. In January, concerned for the well-being of her son Richard and the other men, she began posting reports on a web log she set up called Only Volunteers. As a result of those reports and her relentless appeals to Fort Sill's Public Affairs Office, the Army began an investigation into PTRP conditions in February. By March 5, 2006, some changes, notably the removal of a sadistic drill sergeant, the introduction of a Medical Center liaison to monitor the troops' medical needs, the suspension of punishing physical tasks and the restoration of weekend on-post passes, had been instituted.

Before reviewing the most egregious abuses recently visited upon injured recruits at Fort Sill, it is necessary to understand the benchmark for normal at PTRP. As deVarennes neatly puts it, "Imagine basic training that never ends." By the old Army standard, the nine weeks of basic training will "break you down to build you up." Lately there have been some changes in that approach, driven by Army psychologists who reckoned that breaking the spirit accomplishes little beyond creating emotional wrecks or sadists. No longer are new recruits regularly addressed as "ladies" or "shitsacks" or subjected to the "shark attack" of drill sergeants screaming top volume into their ears on the bus the moment they arrive. But the regimen of absolute control and arbitrary rules is unchanged, which is why it is time-limited and why even the most hardened soldier will tell you, "Hell, no, I wouldn't want to do it again".

In PTRP, where soldiers have been stuck for months, time seems to have been stopped. The men live in long, narrow barracks that can sleep 42 in bunk beds. They must stand in formation, on crutches, in pain, four times a day in all kinds of weather, sometimes for 20 minutes to an hour, at the drill sergeant's pleasure. They may not smoke, drink, look at porn, go off post, have sex, have soda from a machine or have any food except during set mealtimes. They may not have cell phones or laptops, may use approved electronic devices only at certain hours, and must compete to use the outdoor pay phones in the 35 minutes to an hour that is allowed after dinner. On weekdays, they may not go anywhere on post except with permission and an escort. At times they have been impressed to enjoy "mandatory entertainment" -- a Southern rock concert, the Superbowl, Christian concerts.

When first processed into PTRP, they are not given individualized therapy plans, and doctors at the Medical Center are too stretched to have much time for them, so they use a gym and may sit in a windowless closet-like room to apply ice, but until recently had no sustained medical guidance. They must carry canteens for no other reason -- because these are disgusting and no one drinks from them -- than to advertise their low status. Their dining hall is festooned with nutrition posters that would suit an elementary school. The bathroom in the auditorium they sometimes use is filthy and looks as if it's been decorated by a deranged Martha Stewart, with an Americana wall strip of Teddy bears, apple pies and the flag. Elsewhere, walls are dominated by rugged propaganda posters, battle scenes, life-size blow-ups of soldiers and invocations to "Live the Army Values".

Periodically the PTRP barracks is subject to what its drill sergeants call a health and welfare check, "better known as a shakedown," says Pvt. Thurman. Drill sergeants enter the bay, ordering the men to empty their drawers and lockers. Bedding is stripped, mattresses upended, vent covers unscrewed. During one of these routines, Thurman, who's been in PTRP since November of 2005, was discovered to have a pack of cigarettes and a lighter and was given an Article 15, or nonjudicial punishment, and a fine of $270. Almost everyone who's been in PTRP for any length of time has received an Article 15 for something.

Although the cadre says only "motivated" soldiers are accepted into PTRP, soldiers injured in training cannot un-volunteer. After Private Thurman was in the Army for seven months, doctors discovered he had flat feet, once an automatic disqualifier. But Pvt. Thurman cannot leave. He actually completed basic training and advanced individual training in November. At the time he had stress fractures in his ankle, and because he couldn't run as required for the final PT test, a post doctor prescribed an alternate walking event. He graduated with ceremony, but that same day the Army changed its mind. An officer pulled him and two other soldiers aside and told them walking wasn't good enough and they were being sent to PTRP; there, to satisfy formal requirements, the three were "ungraduated."

In pro forma questioning Thurman had been asked if he wanted to go to PTRP.

"No," he said.

The inquiring officer wrote on his file, "Soldier is unmotivated", and "Soldier is cleared for administrative action," meaning nonjudicial punishment or court martial.

"Lack of motivation is a punishable offense in the US Army," Thurman says. The Army threatened Thurman with being recycled back to day one of basic training. After eight months in PTRP another soldier, who had completed eight weeks of the nine-week basic course before he was injured, opted to return to basic training rather than have to stay in the "rest and rehab" program.

"You have an area you can be in. If you leave that area without permission you can go to jail", Thurman explains. "You have people over you with unquestioned power, and your daily life is at their will. Everything's a privilege." Using the phone is a privilege. Going to the PX on the weekend is a privilege. And as in prison, privileges can be taken away. The culture breeds tormentors and tattle-tales among the inmates -- soldiers who haze their comrades, who report on others for piddling infractions like drinking a Coke from the soda machine for the imagined benefit that might bring the snitch.

"I liken being here to being incarcerated," Scarano wrote to deVarennes less than two weeks before his death. "And it often helped during the bleaker points in PTRP history to think of it as such: I'm far from being any kind of expert on the subject, but perhaps it was a psychological self-defense mechanism to try to perceive what was going on as being punitive in nature."

The soldiers have been ordered not to speak of events that are part of the ongoing investigation, so as not to jeopardize it, but enough was put on the public record earlier via deVarennes' blog to indicate that punishment and not therapy or rehab was in fact the program. What follows is drawn from her reports.

In January, a Drill Seargent named Langford was put in charge of the soldiers at PTRP, and he arrived spitting vinegar, telling the men, as deVarennes recaps, "You're worthless, you're malingerers, you're scared, you're useless, you're not soldiers." He cancelled their weekend on-post passes, confining them to the small area around their barracks, and ordered that on weekdays they could not sit on their beds except during the three hours of free time from 6 PM to 9 PM.

Right before the first Family Weekend at the end of January, the drill sergeant ordered the men to clean and wax the floor of their barracks. After they did it once, moving the heavy bunks and wall lockers in and out of the room, he declared the job inadequate and ordered that they get down on their knees with small scrapers and remove every speck of old wax. Out and in went the furniture again. A soldier with a herniated groin dared not slack off in the moving operation lest he and everyone else incur extra abuse for his offense.

One night another drill sergeant, by the name of Bullock, decided to have some fun with the soldiers and give them a taste of sleep deprivation, ordering them to line up in formation outside every hour from 10 PM to 2 AM. After each line-up they could not simply fall on their bunks fully dressed for the next time because he ordered that they present themselves in different apparel. Soldiers on sleep medication were pulled from their beds by their comrades and hustled into line, since if everyone did not appear at formation, everyone would be punished. Drill Sgt. Bullock is apparently still good standing.

As she was receiving word of these abuses, deVarennes was trying to get someone to care. Rep. Connie Mack's office told her Richard would have to fill out a form before it could act, and since that was impossible, the door slammed. John McCain's office sent her a form letter saying he'd need something in writing from Richard. John Kerry's office never replied at all, which was the most common response she got from members of Congress.

Then an injured soldier simply lost it. He'd been in PTRP for several months, was declared healed and sent upstairs to the Fitness Training Unit, or FTU, where uninjured soldiers who couldn't pass the PT test go through exercise drills to pass it. But his injury prevented him from doing the required exercises, and in the hopelessness of the situation he cut himself up, smeared himself with excrement and marched out of the barracks naked except for his socks and boots. He was packed off to a mental ward for a few days and put on suicide watch.

The soldier's breakdown shook the others in PTRP, and that night Pvt. Thurman called his mother and said, "You've got to find a way to help us." Soon after, a soldier who'd been sitting on watch at the mental ward, whom deVarennes nicknamed Pvt. Gopher, committed his own small act of defiance in front of Drill Sgt. Langford and was ordered to "take a knee," meaning to genuflect. As he'd recently had knee surgery, he told Langford that he wasn't able to do that, whereupon the drill sergeant kicked his legs out from under him, sending him to the floor screaming. A first sergeant on the scene ordered the others to turn away, and told them they didn't see anything. Earlier some of them had tried to report abuses to the medical center, to mental health counselors, to highers-up. Now they'd been ordered to shut up, meaning any action they might contemplate would be in violation of a direct order. Almost identical language--"You didn't see **** "--was used at Abu Ghraib, whose abuses the easy cruelty and indifference to suffering at Fort Sill help put into perspective.

It is illegal for a drill sergeant to strike a soldier, but Langford was not arrested. It is illegal to cover up a crime, but the first sergeant remains in his position. Langford was removed as a drill sergeant; whether he suffers any further indignity or punishment depends on the outcome of the current investigation.

Yet for all this sudden intervention, PFC Scarano still perished. The inspector general did not know about the death until deVarennes e-mailed him. The base commander didn't know until the following Monday. On that day, a spokeswoman at Fort Sill's Public Affairs Office said she couldn't tell me anything about the soldier's death "because I've never heard of that person." In death as in life, this soldier didn't count for much in the Army.

In his March 7 email to deVarennes, thanking her for "becoming our champion when no one else would," Scarano wrote:

My injury is degenerative and getting worse. ...I was lied to about surgery, as were many others, and it was brought to the attention of the Inspector-General that the medical community had been telling us that we face courts-martial or severe forms of non-judicial punishment if we declined the surgery suggested to us by the doctors here at Fort Sill. This has since been demonstrated as a bald-faced lie.

I was told that I'd receive arthroscopic shoulder surgery initially, which had little chance of success, and when that failed I would receive a full shoulder replacement, after which my left shoulder would be essentially disabled for the rest of my life.

Just a little rudimentary research into the subject revealed that there are countless other, infinitely more promising options available to me in the civilian world, which I choose to explore, instead of being a guinea pig to a medical system I have no faith in, whatsoever. This is the same medical system which has botched surgeries and performed procedures without the patient's knowledge. I guess their rationale is that up until recently, the patients, in our case, were under the impression that we had virtually no input in the matter, anyway.

I've recently been told, by our case worker, that I'm getting an MEB [Medical Evaluation Board hearing] but as of now my consultation is pending. I've heard no further word yet but am hopeful that as a result of the controversy caused by the attention garnered by your blog, I'll be out of here soon. I am a casualty of a broken system; I fell through the cracks of the bureaucracy that is the system which all of us must go through.

I am a living symbol of the failure of the system and after having been ignored for so long, despite trying to raise as much attention as I could, I might finally be able to get on with my adult life after spending over a third of it in PTRP, deprived of everything from being able to be with my family, to fundamental physical needs such as sleep and recuperation from my injury, to the basic human freedoms and creature comforts which I will never again take for granted.

Scarano was working on a more formal document right before he died, trying to understand cognitive dissonance, the psychological process of accommodating when what one knows or believes to be true collides with a contradictory reality.

Private Howell, who has been in and out of PTRP for fifteen months, also sent deVarennes a paper in which he was compiling the complaints of Bravo Battery and reflecting on his own predicament. Toward the end of it, he wrote:

At one point I know I had a purpose. At one point I know I cared. I do not know when I lost it and if I will be capable of ever possessing it again. I do not think I have shown any of the army values for a very long time. I believe I projected the image that I cared for many months and it was just an act; but it was all that I could do. I am being set up for failure and have been for weeks. The fact that this unit will not follow regulations does not inspire hope or willingness to comply with any orders or any of their bogus policies. In my opinion none of the cadre show any of the army values to any of the soldiers here.

...The army values did mean something to me at one point even though it is just propaganda on paper. I have always known it was just propaganda, but they are a good base for morals if people would lead by example. In conclusion I hope this paper reaches somebody and they read it in whole and are not too judgmental. I also hope I can improve myself and the situation that I am in. Perhaps I can be what they want me to be. Perhaps I can fulfill my enlistment and be productive, but that is not realistic. And it is not what I really want; all I want in this world is to be anywhere but here. I believe that I have permanent physical and psychological damage from this place. If I could describe this place in 2 words it would be 'Malevolentia Imperium'.

Malevolent Power. After Scarano's death most of the soldiers who'd been present at the scene were disbursed. In April, Pvt. Thurman passed exactly the same modified PT test he'd passed the previous November, before he was "ungraduated" and sent to PTRP. He is now at Fort Bliss. On April 21, the parent of a soldier at Fort Sill's PTRP wrote deVarennes:

The inadequate health care continues. My son during physical therapy had a 50 lbs weight dropped on his head, ended up luckily with only 8 staples in his scalp. No further tests were done on this and since has been suffering with crippling headaches which drop him to his knees. ...The depression has gotten out of hand as has the verbal and psychological abuse causing it. I have written to all the representatives, congress and the president and not one has responded either verbally or in writing. Obviously the Government has no desire to take care of thier own.

posted May 13, 2006 12:58 PM              

I'll ask him next time I see him but he once told his sister.

"I don't know what's happening to me. You don't know the horrible things I have seen. The things they did to us".

posted May 14, 2006 03:35 AM              

His mom and dad sued the navy but about a year after her son's death the woman died from a heart attack. The dad eventually won the case against the navy but in just two years he had lost his entire family, wife and son. He said it was her grief over the loss of their only child and all the stress that caused her heart attack because she had heart problems.

posted May 15, 2006 01:56 PM            

Don't YOU people see when someone is padding a story with a bunch of tear jerking bullsh1t? Warehousing them in order to send them broken and hurt?

How many of you TALK with people in the Military that are stationed overseas or in Iraq?

When a solider is suffering from a condition that will keep them from being able to perform their duty overseas they are pulled out of conflict. DO YOU KNOW WHY? Not only does it endanger their lives but the lives of their fellow soldiers.

I am not saying the Military is 100%, there are always problems. We have our own problems here in our Universities with Hazing, rape, etc... we have our own problems in Corporations with people being pushed to work long hours with little pay...

Making someone stand at attention in the hot sun isn't done for sh1t and giggles. Whoever ordered the Seaman to do that was pyscho clear and clear. But we need to look at the number of cases compared to the number of people in the military.

At the same time - you are dealing with kids. Twenty-somethings who can all get together, feed off the adrenaline of one another and get out of hand. If any of you have been around a military installation you well know the problems that can occur when you combine testosterone, alcohol and soldiers used to rigorous schedules / dicipline out on leave.

The same holds true when you get a bunch of twenty something college guys out on the town. Actually, if anyone has been around college guys that play sports where they live by strict rules etc.. watch how they get when they are out of that environment.

Athletes are ordered to run miles, hold themselves on the pull up bar...etc.. .for punishment when they screw up. When I smarted off to my soccer coach I had to run 6 or more laps around the soccer field in 90 degree weather.

Are we going to police everyone and make sure we don't hurt anyone's feelings or make anyone do anything in the heat.

posted May 15, 2006 02:03 PM            

Americans join the Armed Forces for many different reasons, but one Bosnia Herzegovina refugee joined the U.S Army Reserves to fight for his new home – the United States of America.

By the age of 17, Mladen Sudarevic had endured more than three years of the Bosnian civil war before he moved to the U.S. After the 9/11 attacks, he felt like his country was under siege again.

“I wasn’t old enough to serve in the military in Bosnia during their civil war,” Sudarevic said. “I am old enough now and I feel American these days.”

After 9/11, Mladen Sudarevic, now from Aurora, Colorado, stepped forward with mixed emotions of loyalty, honor and outrage as he enlisted in the 324th Psychological Tactical Company, U.S. Army Reserves.

“I joined the U.S. Army Reserves so I could give a little back to the country that gave so much to me,” says Sudarevic. “I felt compelled to defend my adopted country after the 9/11 attack.”

The type of Army unit that Sudarevic serves with is designed to work directly with the local civilian population. Its main function is to show the positive mission of coalition forces to the people of Iraq.

“I feel that after spending time in Bosnia during their war, I can relate to the people in Iraq,” notes Sudarevic. “They fear for their lives and they fear foreign occupation. I feel they understand that we [coalition forces] are not the bad people but, we are still foreigners. These people have a lot of fears...the same type of fears I had in Bosnia.”

Sudarevic shows a sense of compassion for the Iraqi people and he believes they sense this and respond to it. He understands the hardships they are going through.

posted May 15, 2006 02:15 PM            

Soldier makes triumphant return to duty after six month recovery
April 28, 2006

Sgt. Willie Hall, Company B, 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, patrols the streets of Baghdad with Iraqi Army Soldiers. Hall recently returned to action after a six month hospital recovery after he was injuried in an insurgant attack last September.
When he went on patrol last September in Camp Liberty, Iraq on the 4th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Staff Sgt. Willie Hall had no idea that the events unfolding that day would separate him from his unit, Company B, 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, for more than six months.

Hall’s dismounted patrol came under attack in Ghazaliya, September 11 from a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device followed by small-arms fire.

According to members of Hall’s unit, he provided first aid to his fellow Soldiers before realizing he himself was significantly wounded in both the neck and arm. After the unit forced their attackers to flee, Hall’s battle buddies evacuated him to receive treatment.

“I never thought that day that I wouldn’t be back,” said Hall, who recently returned to his unit. “I even had plans to finish watching a movie with my buddies when our patrol was over.”

Hall was transported to Walter Reed Army Medical Center where he began a six-month journey of treatment and physical therapy that he hoped would bring him back to full health and the frontlines.

“As soon as I was feeling close to 100 percent, I knew I had to get back to my platoon,” said Hall. “That is where I belong.”

Hall’s return to action was met with excitement from his unit.

“After I found out how bad he was hurt, I wondered what would happen to our unit,” said Spc. Thomas Neumann. “He really showed us that he stands by his men. We were all very excited.”

“It was really good to have him back in the platoon,” added Staff Sgt. Daniel Morris. “His return from a six month hospital recovery inspired all of us. It was a great example of leadership to everyone.”

(Editor's note: Cpt. Douglas Hermann writes for 1st Bn., 87th Inf. Regt., 1st BCT, 10th Mtn. Div.)

JAG officer jams with Charlie Daniels
April 21, 2006

Capt. Ruth Vetter trades flashy fiddle riffs with country music legend Charlie Daniels during a concert for the troops at Multinational Corps-Iraq Headquarters, April 18.
Spc. Curt SquiresTo some, it is just a different style of play. To others, it is a separate musical instrument. But when Capt. Ruth Vetter, legal advisor, plans and policies, Multi-National Corps-Iraq, and classical violinist, had the opportunity to play the fiddle with the Charlie Daniel’s Band April 18, the two styles became one.

“It must have taken a lot of guts to play the fiddle in front of one of the best fiddle players in the world,” said Staff Sgt. Justin Seimet, platoon sergeant, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division. “She did a good job – I know I couldn’t have done it.”

During the concert, Charlie Daniels called for Vetter to come to the stage and perform “Orange Blossom Special.”

“The performance started as the original 1939 hit, but then turned into improvisation, becoming a fiddle duel,” said Vetter. “I think he wanted me to show off more, but with him on stage, I was not really going to attempt that. I could have shown off with Mozart, but it was not the time or the place.”

“Vetter stole the show,” said Capt. Stephen Hernandez, operational law attorney, MNC-I Staff Judge Advocates Office. “She did an outstanding job, but those of us who had seen her before were not surprised,” he added. “We are all waiting for her next performance.”

As a violinist of 24 years, Vetter has played in many orchestras including The Longy School of Music, in Cambridge, Mass., and The Taylor University Chamber Orchestra in Upland, Ind., but this was her first time playing with a well-known musician.

“The concert was a great opportunity and I think the audience enjoyed it too,” said Vetter, currently serving in her second deployment. “The violin is something different to do here – it is a great release. Although the mission doesn’t always allow for it, it is a great way to relax.”

Vetter was given just four hours notice about her chance to play on stage with a country music legend, but the Marshfield, Mass., native, normally a classic violinist, had to do what every Soldier does—adapt and overcome.

(Editor’s note: Spc. Curt Squires writes for MNC-I PAO)

posted May 15, 2006 02:15 PM            

Staff Sgt. Jose R. Jimenez, Army Ranger and boxer, will represent the United States in the World Military Championships this September in Germany.

From the combat zone to the boxing ring, one Army Ranger is taking his discipline and training to the next level as he chases his dream.

Staff Sgt. Jose R. Jimenez, a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear specialist non-commissioned officer for C Company, 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, at Hunter Army Airfield, Ga., battled through increasing levels of competition from January through March.

He earned a Gold Medal in the 2006 All Army Championships at Fort Huachuca, Ariz., an individual and team Gold Medal at the 2006 Armed Forces Championships at Naval Station Ventura, Calif., and competed in the 2006 U.S. Army Boxing National Championships in Colorado Springs, Colo.

“I never thought that after four years off [from boxing] I was going to come back and perform at this level,” said Jimenez. “The competitors were great. I made a lot of new friends and I learned a lot from them.”

Capt. Chris A. Rice, Jimenez’s company commander, said Jimenez’s drive and motivation are phenomenal.

“He showed an internal desire not seen by many in wanting to do this and he did not ask for or expect any special privileges or exceptions in order to compete in this series,” said Rice. “He knew he had a mission that he needed to perform with the unit and reached above and beyond that to accomplish this task as well.”

By winning the Armed Forces Championships, Jimenez will represent the United States in the World Military Championships this September in Germany. His ultimate goal: competing in the 2008 Olympics. “I hope to continue competing locally and nationally,” he said. “It is all about staying busy and staying sharp.”

Combat is the same way, he added. “It doesn’t matter how much you know about your job if you don’t prepare correctly. When it is time to perform, your body will fail you.”

Boxing is a long-time hobby for Jimenez. “When I was a little kid I used to watch a lot of boxing with my father,” he said. “It wasn’t until I was 11 that my father took me to the boxing gym. That is when I took a serious interest in the sport.”

Since his first competition in 1993, Jimenez has competed in numerous tournaments including the Puerto Rico National and Regional Championships, Puerto Rico vs. Virgin Island Duels and Puerto Rico vs. Dominican Republic Duels. He placed third in the 2002 All-Army Championships.

“Staff Sgt. Jimenez is a role model for us,” said Rice. “His dedication to winning and being the best is evident in his every day activities.”

A native of Vega Alta, Puerto Rico, Jimenez joined the Army in November 1999 and was assigned to the 1st Ranger Bn. in October 2003. He is four-time veteran of the Global War on Terrorism with two deployments each in support of operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom.

posted May 15, 2006 03:42 PM              

It's people like Pidua and Jwhop who choose to ignore the bad and only focus on the good.
All for a dumb red neck from Texas. Who wouldn't care if they both even died.

Which is sad. You are only lying to yourself.

Wake up people. Living in those small little hick towns, will never bring you close to the truth.

I won't be surprised if you guys even have confederate flags on your property :/

I bet the confederates probably even own the television stations.

posted May 15, 2006 04:35 PM            

In spite of leftists and the leftist press trying mightily to whip up a civil war in Iraq, the news shows something else entirely. But that's news you won't read in the leftist press.

How About Some Good News?
Progress in Iraq.
By Bill Crawford

I had hoped this Iraq-progress round-up would include news about the formation of a new government today, but infighting has stalled the process. Still there is lots of other good news to report from Iraq, and even signs that some in the media are taking notice: The article linked to says “Statistics cited come from a report in National Review.”

In a move to help quell sectarian violence, seven Sunnis were rescued from Shia militiamen by U.S. and Iraqi forces Thursday. U.S. and Iraqi forces arrived in a village where the kidnappings were under way after receiving a tip from village leaders. After a brief gunfight with the militia, the hostages were rescued. Five of the kidnappers were wounded and 36 taken into custody.

A newspaper affiliated with a Kurdish political party claimed that 1,577 Iranians had been captured in the last month crossing the border into Iraq. Also this week, a top Sunni political leader accused Iran of sending intelligence agents into Iraq and of setting up operations centers in Iraqi towns.

Iraq is planning on reorganizing its security forces in Baghdad. The plan includes consolidating police and army forces under one command, and one uniform. In addition, the plan calls for a significant reduction in the number of American troops in the capital city.

ONE FINE (ARTS) DAY

In Baghdad, a private art gallery drew a small crowd to an art exhibit. One artist commented that artists have more freedom now than under Saddam:

The young artists at the Cultural Attitudes Society art gallery in central Baghdad say they are more free to express themselves now that Saddam is gone.

FOR THE CHILDREN

Students of Watertown High School in Wisconsin recently collected backpacks filled with school supplies to send to Iraq. The success of “Operation Backpack” surprised even its organizers:

We picked up 80 backpacks from the Educational Service Center that were donated to the school district by the Watertown Kiwanis Club,” Mark McFarland, student council president, said. “

Eight large boxes were filled with the items from the backpacks. Those boxes will be shipped over to Iraq along with the backpacks.

The children of Sadr City are now going to school in new classrooms thanks to the Army Corps of Engineers:

Among the schools getting makeovers was the Mustafa School, which serves 930 high school students in the morning and 430 elementary students in the afternoon.

The $290,000 project included 300 new interior lights, 55 ceiling fans, 11 window air conditioners, 300 square meters of new concrete playground surface, remodeling of restrooms, roof repair, raising the perimeter security wall one meter, repairing all broken glass and installing a steel mesh to protect all exterior windows, painting all interior and exterior walls, and supplying a new 80kva generator.

“It’s one of 13 public-school renovations in East Baghdad that we oversaw in the last year,” said Jeremy Way, project engineer with Gulf Region Central District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

THE MONEYMEN

The head of Iraq’s central bank said this week the country was making progress in reforming the banking system:

He also said Iraq was on track in its financial reforms, including transformation of the banking system "from one depending on cash to a system depending on credit."

"By the end of the year God willing, our banks will have a developed payment system to carry out their settlements fast through accounts at the central banks," he said.

"Other reforms we are working on include improving the banks' managements and developing the technology they use to carry out transactions," he said. "We cannot say everything is perfect, but we are moving forward."

He also said Iraq’s foreign reserves now stand at $10 billion.

The Iraqi-American chamber of commerce will be holding its second trade show in Iraq in September.

Iraq’s oil minister announced that the country will be building three new oil refineries at a cost of $6 billion. When completed, the three facilities will be capable of pumping up to 900,000 barrels a day.

The American chamber of commerce third “Rebuild Iraq” conference ended this week on a high note for residents of Fallujah:

"Fallujah is a secure city and returning to a normal life and its soil is ready for investment". Delegates also heard from speakers of the huge resources available for utilization including 40,000 skilled and currently unemployed people in Fallujah and highlighted the many products that could be sold across Iraq and internationally including ceramics, stone and even a budding tourism sector.

ON FIRE

Renovations to the Al-Musharra fire station are complete. The $110,000 project will benefit 750,000 Iraqis:

Located near the Tigris River, the structure was weakened by the high ground water table. Crumbling walls and floors, a polluted water storage tank and decayed roof tiles were just a few of the reconstruction problems. New joists and wall supports, roof tiles and floor tiles were installed to bring vitality back to the building. New electrical, water, sewage and air conditioning systems were installed and a sleeping quarters, kitchen area and general use room were built to accommodate the nine fireman stationed there.

Thanks to Iraqi production, OPEC’s oil output topped 30 million barrels per day for the first time since November:

The biggest single increase came from Iraq, which saw volumes rise from 1.82 million b/d in March to 2.01 million b/d in April, thanks to a big boost in exports from the south, which had been constrained by a combination of weather problems, power outages and sabotage.

LOOKEE HERE

U.S. and Iraqi troops uncovered a massive weapons cache near Baghdad on Wednesday. The cache was largely made up of materials used to make IEDs:

…searched a house in New Baghdad and discovered 142 land mines, 58 blocks of C4 explosives, approximately 8,000 feet of detonation cord, 107 fuses, 22 rocket-propelled grenades, a launcher, 59 mortars, 40 pounds of mortar propellant, four shape charges, 43 blasting caps, explosive-formed projectile materials, two gas masks, six two-way radios, multiple mortar launching tubes, maps of Baghdad and Iraq, and anti-Iraqi force literature.

The story continues:

The discovery of weapons caches, often a result of a local's tip to Iraqi or American forces, occur nearly every day in Iraq, but the May 10 discovery was particularly large.

In a press conference this week, Major General Lynch noted that tips from Iraqis have increased significantly this year. During the first eleven days of May, Iraqis had phoned in more than 1,500 phone calls. Lynch said that 98 percent of the tips contain usable intelligence. The tips have been especially useful in the fight against al Qaeda and IEDs:

Improved intelligence and increasingly capable Iraqi security forces also led to the capture or killing of more than 161 senior leaders of al-Qaida in Iraq, as well as a marked decrease in effective improvised bombs. More than 50 percent of the bombs now are found and defused before they can kill, he said.

Major Lynch also made a rather interesting statement, and I couldn’t agree more:

"People want to talk about what the enemy did. But they don't talk about what the enemy couldn't do," Lynch said. "And there is a lot he couldn't do because of that increased presence."

ON THEIR OWN

The Iraqi army is now conducting independent operations in Diyala Province:

Iraqi army Soldiers of the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 5th Iraqi Army Division are independently conducting operations in their area of Diyala Province. They are performing tasks such as gathering their own intelligence, to patrolling their streets and hunting suspected anti-Iraqi forces.

Independent operations are also being conducted by the Iraqi army in Mosul. Three terrorists on the Iraqi army’s most-wanted list were captured during the operation planned and executed solely by Iraqis:

The Iraqi brigade demonstrated their military planning skills by formulating the mission, issuing appropriate orders to its subordinate units, and overwatching the conduct of the operation.

SAME BAD TRICKS

Terrorists are still using mosques to plan attacks against Coalition forces. In Baghdad, an IED exploded in the basement of a mosque, killing one terrorist, and wounding two others.

A tip from an Iraqi led U.S. troops to a weapons cache, and to the capture of two members of an IED-making terrorist cell.

U.S. and Iraqi forces captured an al Qaeda-cell leader in Adhamiyah. The captured terrorist immediately sang like a canary and seven more terrorists were promptly rounded up.

U.S. soldiers uncovered IED making equipment thanks to a tip from an Iraqi citizen. The cached included an IED ready to go:

The cache included an IED ready for placement, nine anti-tank mines, eight hand grenades, various other weapons and IED making equipment, as well as an improvised rocket launcher.

Three men on the Iraqi army’s most-wanted list were captured during an operation in Mosul. The operation was planned and led by Iraqis.

Two terrorists were killed when they fired on Iraqi police in Tikrit. A search of the building they were in led to the discovery of a tunnel and weapons cache:

The Soldiers uncovered a false wall that led to a tunnel system and another hidden door that opened into a room used as clandestine sleeping quarters.

The “Ready First” Soldiers discovered a variety of weapons and munitions scattered about the tunnel and underground room. A Katusha rocket, 10 rifle grenades, four mortar rounds, three IEDs and two mortar tubes were seized.

Helicopters from the 101st Airbrone Division fired on two terrorist placing an IED during a nighttime patrol, killing one and wounding the other.

In Julaybah, a terrorist compound was destroyed by Coalition forces:

After killing three terrorists and detaining four others, the troops conducted a thorough search of the area. They found six affiliated vehicles, three of which were loaded with various weapons and explosives to include rifles, mortars and improvised explosive device material. The troops also uncovered numerous weapons caches with AK-47's, rocket propelled grenades, mortar rounds and IED material.

Five safe houses, six cars, and all lethal material were destroyed on target. No civilians were injured or harmed during the assault or resulting firefight.

Centcom released captured al Qaeda documents this week in which it is clear the terrorist group is having a tough time in Iraq. An excerpt particularly relevant here:

The actions of the Iraqi Security Forces are having a significant negative impact on the Mujahideen’s ability to operate in Baghdad. Al Qaida in Iraq attacks Mosques and other public places to draw media attention and is having difficulty recruiting members because the people of Iraq do not support its cause.

Great news, but here is how the Reuters’ story on the documents began:

A purported al Qaeda document published by the U.S. military may or may not be authentic but its message that the Sunni Islamist guerrillas face problems in Iraq could reflect reality, security experts said on Tuesday.

Fake but accurate, now where have I heard that before?

In Al Furat, a mostly Sunni area of Anbar, men said they were volunteering for the Iraqi army because they are tired of the insurgency:

One 30-year-old Iraqi man accepted for enlistment said his younger brother had his left leg amputated after infection set in from a gunshot wound from insurgents. He’s hoping his enlistment in the Army is the beginning of the end of the insurgency in Al Anbar Province, he said.

“He told me, my brother – ‘save our country,’” said the man through an interpreter. “’Don’t let another guy end up like me.’ I just do this for him.”

JUST THE FACTS

And in case you missed it, here are some highlights from the latest Brookings’s Iraq Index:

posted May 15, 2006 05:05 PM            

The sad thing is, for those that need to hear only the bad in order to justify their burning hate for Bush and the administration, these facts will never be enough. For every 1000 good things done in Iraq and Afghanistan there will be one death that will be exaggerated to the point of mistruth and they will believe it.

posted May 15, 2006 09:55 PM              

quote:

---

Don't YOU people see when someone is padding a story with a bunch of tear jerking bullsh1t? Warehousing them in order to send them broken and hurt?

How many of you TALK with people in the Military that are stationed overseas or in Iraq?

---

In answer to the first question you asked Pidaua, I see that all the time on Fox News, and I don't hear you complaining about that. I see it all the time in the posts that Jwhop posts by Newsmax and you seem to agree with all that ******** as long it supports what you believe to be the truth, Pidaua.

In answer to your second question, Pidaua I will ask you when was the last time you went over and talked to the troops in Iraq? Was it yesterday, the day before, when? When was the last time you spoke to an Iraqi vet, Pidaua?

You even dimiss the truth that some of the Iraq vets who were over there come back and speak out about as lies because their version of the truth doesn't fit your comfortable little world view. Even though they risked their lives so you could call them liars for telling the truth.

posted May 15, 2006 10:01 PM              

Since when did the two of you come to know all truth?

It shows both of your true character that you have to resort to belittling and calling others names when your comfortable little world views are shaken. It tells me that neither of you are really all that secure in your truth. Otherwise you wouldn't feel so threatened that you felt you had to discredit and belittle others for speaking their truth. I see that more from Bush supporters than I do from the so called "traitors" and "liars."

It's also very sad that both of you can only see this as being anti-military propaganda. That says a lot about your character as well.

Besides that both MG and myself said that we know first hand of people who were mistreated in the military.

And here is some more news about the military that the two of you can call lies and anti-military propaganda.

Troops Who Show Signs of Mental Illness Forced Into Combat

(AP)HARTFORD, Conn. - U.S. military troops with severe psychological problems have been sent to Iraq or kept in combat, even when superiors have been aware of signs of mental illness, a newspaper reported for Sunday editions.

“The Hartford Courant, citing records obtained under the federal Freedom of Information Act and more than 100 interviews of families and military personnel, reported numerous cases in which the military failed to follow its own regulations in screening, treating and evacuating mentally unfit troops from Iraq.

How bad is it? This bad:

“Twenty-two U.S. troops committed suicide in Iraq last year, accounting for nearly one in five of all non-combat deaths and the highest suicide rate since the war started, the newspaper said.

"Some service members who committed suicide in 2004 and 2005 were kept on duty despite clear signs of mental distress, sometimes after being prescribed antidepressants with little or no mental health counseling or monitoring, the Courant reported. Those findings conflict with regulations adopted last year by the Army that caution against the use of antidepressants for "extended deployments."

posted May 15, 2006 10:14 PM              

Yet you go to a U.S. Army site to post the information here. Yeah, real credible source, Pidaua. It isn't like the Army puts out any propaganda now is it? Right! I believe that. Did you really expect a U.S. Army site to post anything that they didn't want people to know?

In short, your source isn't credible for the first story you posted, Pidaua because it comes from the source in question itself.

posted May 15, 2006 10:19 PM              

quote:

---

The sad thing is, for those that need to hear only the bad in order to justify their burning hate for Bush and the administration, these facts will never be enough. For every 1000 good things done in Iraq and Afghanistan there will be one death that will be exaggerated to the point of mistruth and they will believe it.

---

No, the sad thing is that, for people who only want to hear the good about Bush and his adminstration will go to the extreme and negate anything to the contrary because they cannot admit that they just might be wrong. Now, that's really sad.

You must have just jumped to your assumptions about this story I posted instead of reading it through, Pidaua because this kid never got to Iraq. He was killed because he sustained injuries in boot camp. He was killed in an army barracks in Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Overdosed with pain killers instead of getting the surgery that they sent him there to get and pretty much held prisioner on the base.

posted May 16, 2006 12:26 AM              

wheres the lie about bush in this thread jwhop??

posted May 16, 2006 12:30 AM            

They feign compassion but didn't have any compassion for up to a million Iraqi civilians Saddam killed. Leftists were perfectly content to let the slaugher continue under Saddam. In fact, leftists insisted on leaving Saddam alone to continue the slaughter of Iraqi civilians. Nor is there an ounce of compassion for Iraqi civilians terrorist thugs are killing there.

They feign outrage that Bush took Saddam down after going to the UN for Resolution 1441. But when Clinton bombed Bosnia for 78 straight days with dumb gravity bombs...AND did not so much as discuss it with the UN, no outrage there.

I also don't recall any show of compassion for the people killed by Clinton's bombing campaign.

When the discussion comes up about 9/11, America either deserved it OR terrorists didn't do it, Bush did.

Total frauds and hypocrites.

posted May 16, 2006 02:05 AM              

— Bill Crawford lives in San Antonio, Tex. He blogs at All Things Conservative.

Enough said.

If it is in support of Bush regardless of all the facts that come out to the contrary it is truth to you, Jwhop. If it is not in what you consider to be in support of Bush it is lies.

This article I posted is not about politics, Jwhop. It is not about being left or right, Republican or Democrat or Independent. It is about the death of a young man who was not properly cared for by the military. That does not make the author or me or anyone else against the military. You can't fix things that are wrong with our country or our armed forces if you choose to live your life with blinders on. I know the good of my country but I also know there are bad things too that need to be fixed. Same with the military. It is in pointing out what needs to be fixed that might help to fix things so that something like this does not happen to any other young men in the military.

Your lack of compassion for this young man is noted by all here and you and Pidaua turning it into a friggin we have to support Bush at all costs issue is sickening and disgusting.

I suppose that is what you both see as troop support. Turning this kids death into a forum to spout your bush loving ******** .

posted May 16, 2006 03:01 AM              

youll also notice many of the figures are comparing may 2003 (the month we began bombing iraq) to dates in 2005 (instead of comparing them to prewar levels)....and again he's listing the same old stories as "news from iraq"....

see this thread.....
http://www.linda-goodman.com/ubb/Forum16/HTML/001804.html

here is the take on the same brookings data from www.defensenews.com

**********

Security, Economy Still Lag in Iraq: Report
By GORDON TROWBRIDGE, TIMES STAFF WRITER

Little progress has been made in improving Iraq’s security or economic conditions despite growth in Iraq’s armed forces, according to recently released data from a Washington, D.C., research institution.

Oil and electrical production continue to lag pre-war levels, while attacks against civilians and Iraqi security forces have not significantly fallen in months, according to data compiled by the Brookings Institution.
Brookings’ Iraq Index is perhaps the most comprehensive collection of data on security and reconstruction in Iraq.

And despite arguments by conservative Internet commentators that the latest version, released Monday, represents under-reported progress in Iraq, Brookings analyst Michael O’Hanlon said the situation is not encouraging.

“I am actually a bit pessimistic based on the overall message of the data,” O’Hanlon said by e-mail. “I think the economy is flat and not much improved from Saddam's days and think the security environment is also not showing much progress.”

Iraqi oil production — which U.S. officials said before the war would finance Iraq’s reconstruction — continues to trail pre-war levels, according to the report. Daily production in April averaged 2.14 million barrels, or more than 300,000 barrels below Iraq’s pre-war peak of 2.5 million. Overall, Iraq’s supply of petroleum products was about 75 percent of the U.S. and Iraqi governments’ goals — up from 65 percent in March, but down from 2005 levels of nearly 100 percent.

Electric power, a key problem in Baghdad and other major cities, also continues to lag pre-war levels. April production was about 3,600 megawatts daily, or about 9 percent below pre-invasion levels. Power production surged well above pre-war levels in summer 2004, but insurgent attacks and crumbling infrastructure have plagued efforts to hold onto that growth. Residents in Baghdad had electricity for an estimated four hours a day in April.

There is growing evidence of inefficiency and corruption in Iraq’s energy sector. A report this month by the U.S. government’s inspector general for Iraqi reconstruction found that a program designed to protect the country’s oil and electric infrastructure had largely failed. Another report, by Iraq’s oil ministry, said widespread corruption in the oil industry was costing the country billions of dollars.

Bush administration officials this week have cited progress in seating a permanent Iraqi government, and the continued growth of Iraq’s security forces, as important signs of progress. Hanlon agreed those are areas that could promise more in the future.

“What gives me some hope is the training program for Iraqi forces as well as the fledgling government,” O’Hanlon said. “But my hope is modest.”

Among other findings from the index:
• Violence against Iraq civilians has decreased from levels in the aftermath of the February bombing of a shrine in Samarra, but still remains a fact of life for coalition troops and Iraqi civilians. April was the deadliest month of 2006 for U.S. troops, with 76 American fatalities. But overall, numbers of killed and wounded U.S. troops have trended down since last summer.

• Improvised bombs have not abated as a danger to U.S. troops. Those weapons caused 45 U.S. deaths in April, the highest since October 2005 and the second-highest monthly total since the war began. Improvised explosive devices caused about 60 percent of U.S. fatalities in April.

posted May 16, 2006 05:24 AM            

First, basic training is completely different to BOOT CAMP. If you're in basic training, you're already a soldier. You've graduated boot camp and begun your enlistment.

In boot camp, you are a recruit. Not a soldier. If you get injured during boot camp, they will keep you in hospital until you get well enough to finish.

This isn't a new policy just because there's a war going on and the Army needs bodies. This is what was ALWAYS done.

Also, since Matthew Scarano was a Private, that means he graduated boot camp. He wouldn't be going through the pyschological breaking down they put recruits through in order to become soldiers.

That is over after boot camp. But since Scarano was a PRIVATE, he had begun his enlistment, he was an injured soldier and of course, he would be recieving treatment at the Army medical facility. He wasn't being "warehoused"... thats ridiculous. He was already enlisted and under contract.

I'm not a medical professional and I don't know if Private Scarano recieved adequate treatment, either way, I am very sorry for his family. It's always tragic when someone so young passes, especially in those circumstances.

But one thing that is plainly apparent is that his case was selected by someone who is extremely ignorant of the military and does not hide their hatred and contempt for the military very well.

It's badly researched, badly put together and full of hyperbole and anti-military hysteria.

posted May 16, 2006 08:34 AM              

perhaps, instead of going on about how ignorant the author is, you could take the time to point out the 'mistakes all over the article'.....

**********

Army to revamp injured recruit program

LAWTON, Okla., May 12 (UPI) -- The U.S. Army will assign medical professionals to head training centers for recruits injured in basic training after complaints of mistreatment in Oklahoma.

At least two soldiers have died at Fort Sill, Okla., since 2004, The New York Times reported, both apparently of overdoses of prescription drugs.

"I am a casualty of a broken system; I fell through the cracks of the bureaucracy," Pfc. Matthew Scarano said in an e-mail not long before his death in January.

The Physical Training and Rehabilitation Program, which uses the motto "Heal and Ship," is designed for recruits who are unable to complete basic training with their units because of physical injuries.

Soldiers or their parents complained that drill sergeants treated them as malingerers and that they were given medication without proper monitoring.

posted May 16, 2006 01:20 PM            

These stories are submitted BY SOLDIERS. Soon Mr. Leo will be posting on here and will give you the real information from the perspective of having been in Bosnia, served in the field as well as served as the only American to pass the NATO POW / SERE school his year (Approximately only 10 American pass each year and it's an intense / brutal school where the person DOES have to find their own food, make their clothes etc....)

You and others like you only provide stories from "Altnet" or "wnd.daily" where the perspectives are ALWAYS against the US and against our Military.

I can find numerous stories from soldiers - I live close to Fort Huachuca were many soliders deploy and return from Afghanistan / Iraq. The majority of our population has something to do with the Fort and it's a close community. Let's also not forget that I am marrying a UAV pilot in the Army that also served in the 82nd Airborne / 173rd. I BBQ with these soldiers, I go out to nights on the town with people from his platoon that HAVE served in Iraq -one of which was in a convoy where an IED blew up the vehicle in front and behind his vehicle.

Remember what I said concerning getting the real stories:

WRITE TO OUR US SOLDIERS IN IRAQ - GIVE THEM YOUR SUPPORT AND FIND OUT THE TRUTH!!!!

Don't just take one or two pseudo investigative reports or hearsay from a friend of a friend who's friends mom told her how sad it was that their 21 year old boy had to do 50 pull ups in the hot sun.

Is there abuse YES... In EVERY CORNER OF SOCIETY THERE IS ABUSE...

From the Church to the playground, from the Boardroom to the Military... etc...

"You even dimiss the truth that some of the Iraq vets who were over there come back and speak out about as lies because their version of the truth doesn't fit your comfortable little world view. Even though they risked their lives so you could call them liars for telling the truth. "

That is FALSE!!! First off PVT Scarano was NOT in Iraq, secondly, I do not dispute what soldiers have gone through. I also don't call them liars.

If you read my words you will see I get ANGRY at the damn media for twisting words and instead of publishing the facts they start off with "Another reason why the US is a horrible entity sending your children to die..."

They don't care about the deaths of soldiers, they don't care about the conditions and I would venture to say that there are many in the "peace movement" that salivate at the news that another soldier has died. It promotes "THEIR VERSION OF THE TRUTH"

I will say this AGAIN.. Just in case you missed it.

There is ABUSE IN EVERY FIELD, EVERY INDUSTRY, EVERY POSSIBLE GROUP IMAGINABLE.

Do I believe that the Military has had cases of abuse YES!! Do I believe some soldiers lives have been put at risk due to inadequate leadership YES!!! Do I think there are things that the Military has done that AREN'T on the up and up? YES...

But you know the difference between people like me and others that keep b1tching about how evil our Military is? I admit that which is wrong and hope for a change. I don't get excited every time a causality is reported so that I can further promote my leftest Bush hating, anti-war agenda.

Using Soliders suicides again to further ones cause is another stupid path to take. Of course they are damn depressed, they are AT WAR!!! They are seeing things some of us will never see in our lifetimes. How many cops eat their guns? Do we dismantle the police force because it is just too darn stressful and agents are killing themselves?

Yeah, I bet the criminals would love that.

Venus... WELL SAID:

"But one thing that is plainly apparent is that his case was selected by someone who is extremely ignorant of the military and does not hide their hatred and contempt for the military very well.

It's badly researched, badly put together and full of hyperbole and anti-military hysteria.

Bad things do happen in the Army, but bad things will happen within any organization of over a million people. There's a lot of red tape and beaurocracy and bullsh!t... but this article does not document what happened here very well at all. There are glaring mistakes all over this article. The events as described don't make sense and couldn't have happened as described and anyone who knows the military well, would know this. "

posted May 16, 2006 01:41 PM            

"When was the last time you spoke to an Iraqi vet, Pidaua? "

I believe I answered that, but I will reiterate.

1) I worked on post in transportation with soldiers that deployed to Iraq and returned from Iraq

2) My ex-fiance was an MP and as such, I spent time in the military community with his fellow MP's and soldiers and their spouses at BBQ functions etc... several of them had served time in Iraq and Afghanistan. One of them was getting ready to go back for his 3rd tour. Keep in mind, my ex was a K9 MP and as such, the small community is often deployed with their dogs for security missions. My ex lost a good friend before we broke up as he had gone over a land mine.

3) A good friend of mine just returned 6 months ago from 3 stints in Iraq working with a private contractor and US forces provided security. We spent hours talking about what he saw and what the media report.

4) My ex-husband identifies the bodies that come back from Iraq and are returned to Dover Airforce base. In fact, he identified my friends brother in law last April.

5) I have friends with brothers / sisters / mothers / fathers / spouses serving in Iraq right now. Remember... I live in a Military community.

6) I am engaged to a Leo (and will be married in June) that is also in the US Army. I have already stated his background in the last post. Several of his fellow friends / soldiers have been deployed, served and returned from Iraq and a few are opting to go again.

Deployment is always a possibility. He flies UAV's and could very well be deployed.

So, does that answer your question? I have the privilage of being in a community where talking to someone that has returned from Iraq is more common than seeing a politician. This is a tight community.

I am PROUD of our soldiers that go out there to fight only to come back here and have to deal with all the crap the anti-war movement spews out. For every 1 soldier that has a horrific story there are 1000 that have something positive to say.

When I worked in transportation I would hear some soldiers b1tch about having to go to war. They would say 'Hey, when I signed up for this, I only did it to get trained and I never thought we'd go to war".

What in the hell did they think the Military was all about? So many have used the Military has a jobs program and then complain when they have to go over. Just as there are soldiers that have an major Go ARMY agenda, there are others that hate the Army with a passion.