WWI-era chemical mortar found at Schofield

Via Army Times:

A World War I-era mortar that apparently contains a chemical choking agent has been found at the Army’s Schofield Barracks on Oahu.

U.S. Army Garrison Hawaii announced Friday that the liquid-filled 4-inch Stokes mortar was discovered June 27 during routine ground excavations at a former training area.

In other news, JACK ARMY is breathing better lately.

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The Waiting Period

There's a guy in my unit who purchased a handgun from off-island and had it delivered here. According to him, he must wait 14 days before he can pick up the weapon because of Hawaii's mandatory wait period.

He already owns a handgun.

What is the purpose of the wait period now? If he wanted the second handgun for a killing, he really should be looking to the first handgun to go ahead and get the job done without having to wait, right?

I'm sure I'm not the first person to think of this, but it is the first time I've thought of it.

I'da thunk that whoever drafted the "wait-for-your-gun" law would've thought through this as well. Once you have a gun, waiting for another one is just silly, a waste of time, and probably a pain in the rear.

But what do I know?


Military

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WWI Veteran Becomes World's Oldest Man at Age 113

Via Fox News:

Guinness World Records said Friday that 113-year-old British World War I veteran Henry Allingham has become the world's oldest man.

I'm a little over a third of the way there! One day, I shall add "became oldest Desert Storm veteran at age 120" to my resume of accomplishments.

It could happen.


Military

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Vet accused of faking paralysis to avoid Iraq

Via Army Times:

An Army veteran from Illinois bilked the U.S. government by faking paralysis after a car wreck to get disability benefits and avoid being deployed to Iraq, federal grand jurors allege in indicting the former soldier and his wife.

So here's the gist of the story. Dude was given the heads up that his unit was going to Iraq and five months later he rolls his car. He claimed he couldn't walk, make poo-poo or tee-tee which baffled the doctors as they "could not pinpoint the source of Rush’s paralysis." Eventually, he was medically discharged and received at least $2700 monthly in VA benefits as well as some Social Security benefits.

All the while, he could walk.

Oh, by the way, he and the wife sued the automaker claiming stuff including that they couldn't bump uglies... yet they had a baby that would have been conceived after the car accident that paralyzed his pooper... and legs.

I'm all for someone who needs help getting it, but these folks got the wrong kind of help. First they needed competent parents. Since it's too late for that, a team of mental health professionals should have been engaged in reprogramming their malformed brains. Since the expense would have been too great, how about revoking their citizenship and dropping them off the planet. Sorry, need to make room for the good folks.

It's turds like this former Soldier and his wife that make it so hard to have compassion and understanding for the Soldiers and families that really deserve it.


Military

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Updated

Well, changed the colors somewhat... just so that you know it's changed. Not too many other differences, though. Turned most of the graphics links into text links, reorganized the links a little bit... dropped some dead links too.

2 new polls up in the sidebar also.

Here in a bit, I'll throw up a couple of new posts about some current events I been watchin' on... and I'll try hard to give you a few new posts everyday from now on.

Promise.

Pay no attention to the crossed fingers behind the curtain.


Military

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Updating the Ole Blog

I'm working on updating this here blog. Not that you can tell, but it's getting a bit dusty around here. So, gimme a couple o' more days, and I'll "relaunch" JACK ARMY lookin' a bit different and rearranged somewhat... and then I'll get back to bloggin' like in the good ole days.

M'kay?


Military

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Interesting

I found this article on relationships very interesting. And insightful.

h/t: The Jawa Report


Military

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Mid-tour Leave = Be Stranger Competition?

The four guys mentioned at the top of this story are from my unit. Not sure I'd use my mid-tour leave that way, but I understand why these guys did... they are hard. Just tough, dedicated, intense guys.

UPDATE: They finished 18th and 20th... the NCO's leading the way. I'm just saying.


Military

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Airborne & Special Operations Museum to Open New Temporary Exhibit: The 173d "Sky Soldiers" The Legend Continues

Via the Special Forces Associates Message Service:

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. - The Airborne & Special Operations Museum will open its latest special exhibit on Tuesday, May 19th, The 173d "Sky Soldiers" The Legend Continues. The new exhibit opening coincides with Fayetteville and Cumberland County's "31 Days of Glory" celebration, a show of appreciation and respect for our soldiers, vets, and their families.

At 9:30 am the museum will officially unveil the new exhibit with a ribbon cutting and special remarks from guest speaker Colonel Mark Stammer, Commander of 1st Brigade, 82d Airborne Division and former 173rd combat veteran.
In recognition of a battle that occurred in Vietnam on November 8, 1965, "Operation Hump", an original painting by world renowned artist Craig Bone, "8th of November", will be on display highlighting the new exhibit. His new painting was inspired by the battle and the story of Niles Harris, a U.S. Army Veteran and survivor of the battle of November 8th. Mr. Harris' story was captured in the song "8th of November" performed by the country music duo, Big & Rich.

Artist Craig Bone and Niles Harris will be at the new exhibit opening and sign "8th of November" prints, available in the museum gift shop.

In addition, a custom-built chopper designed by Celebrity Choppers specifically for Mr. Harris and paid for by Big & Rich will also be on display at the museum. The artistry of the bike incorporates eagles, the US flag, 173d Airborne coins, patches and insignia plus references the "8th of November" song. There is also a map of Vietnam on the front fender and two eagles on the rear fender with tears flowing to represent the 48 men who died in that battle.

THE MUSEUM
Located in downtown Fayetteville, the Airborne & Special Operations Museum is part of the U.S. Army Museum System and tells the story of Army airborne and special operations units from 1940 to the present. Museum hours: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, noon - 5 p.m. Sunday. Closed Monday; open Federal holiday Mondays. For more information call 910.643.2774 or visit the website at www.asomf.org.

Military

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TSA Detains Flyer for Carrying $4700 Cash

This bothers me. Between this and the stupid security checks at the airport (why in the hell do I have to take off my shoes?), it makes me want to give up flying all-together. Too bad I live on an island.

Now, I'm not really tracking the whole deal with the Ron Paul party getting harassed or whatever, and if that is really happening someone needs to go to jail for doing it, but even if you take that out of the equation or leave it in, this is just scary.

What scares me the most about it? The guys wearing the uniforms and badges have no idea what the law is, they can't answer the simple question, "am I required by law to answer that question?" If you can't answer the question, instead of harassing the passenger and calling him childish (which is in itself a childish act), then politely tell the passenger, "I don't know. Wait here a minute while I find out."

Is that too hard? Is it too much to ask our "law enforcement" goons at the TSA to be polite AND know the pertinent laws they are supposed to enforce?

I don't like the TSA (and I probably just went on their "watch-list" for publishing that). I just don't trust, especially after all the investigative journalists shooting holes in their procedures, that these guys can catch bad guys. I mean, they are patting down old ladies. Please, when was the last time you saw an old lady on the news described as a terrorist? Ever? Then why are we wasting time, money and effort, not to mention embarrassing our grandmas, with patting down old ladies at the airport?

Are we that afraid? Or is it just "political correctness" run amok?

It may be some of the former... but I suspect it's far, far more of the latter.

And that is just plain stupid, no two ways about it.

Shame on us, America. We are doing this to ourselves. In an effort to appear fair, we are instead making ourselves look like idiots. In fact, five guys at the St. Louis TSA office look like the biggest idiots in this affair.

If I was a terrorist asleep in the United States, I would find it extremely hard to not blow my cover... I'd be laughing too hard at crap like this. Foolish Americans.

By the way, I'll continue to fly. Aside from the aforementioned reason, I'm playing the odds. There are so many people flying so often that the chances of something like this happening to me are very, very low. Well, that and I don't carry $4700 in cash with me when I fly. But what if I wanted to?

Judge Nepolatano said in the video that "cash is freedom" and there is was a certain truth to that... but if the TSA can detain you for carrying cash, then your freedom may be dwindling away and you don't even know it...

Think about it.


Military

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Hawaii Pics

As requested, some of my pics of Hawaii...

A decaying bridge abutment in the ravine behind our house:


Hazy day:


Rainbow and cows:


Rainbow precedes the storm:


Piggy in creek... wake up piggy!


More to follow!


Military

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Yes, I Still Have a Blog

This one, in fact. I just haven't found much to write about lately... well, much that I'm interested in spending the time to write about... if that makes sense.

Between teaching myself how to be a trader/investor/loser and work and whatever else eats up my time, I'm just not feeling the blogginess much lately.

It'll come back though. I'm sure.


Military

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Dislike

I don't use the word "hate."

But I do use the word "dislike."

Especially when talking about former General Eric Shinseki. I dislike the black beret we are forced to wear. The patrol cap was a much better utility headgear.

Now, he places his loyalty in the wrong place... with a man who may be in charge for only 4 or 8 years, instead of the veterans who will be veterans for the rest of their lives.

That bothers me. Be a strong man, a general, and say the right thing. "No, veterans will not have to pay for service-related health care. The VA and the American people will shoulder that small burden to repay those who have shouldered the burden of protecting our great nation."

And if the President or anybody else forces him to say something different, he should resign over that principle.


Military

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The Joke

The joke between another guy and I right now goes like this:

Me: "What's that?" --pointing to a stack of money with googlie eyes on it.
Guy: "The the money Obama is taking away from your grandchildren."
Music in background: "Somebody's watching me..."

Ha.

Or not ha.


Military

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That's Something You Don't See Every Day

Pop to the Army Times website and your brigade commander is the feature story.

He'll probably be the Supreme Allied Commander some day... or some kind of high falooting general type.

All kidding aside, a remarkably smart man. The phrase, "follow you to hell in a gasoline g-string" kinda fits.

The guy even wrote a book!


Military

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Is There Something Wrong With Marriage?

The connotation is that some folks will tolerate "marriage" because, you know, it's kind of a tradition or something, but that doesn't mean the government should actually promote it. I mean, isn't it bad enough that we even continue to condone it?

According to FoxNews:

Washington plans to soon pour $5 million into a national media campaign aimed at 18-to-30 year olds, outlining the benefits of marriage and tips on having a healthy one.

Huh. Benefits and tips. Sounds good, right?

Supporters say the campaign is merely providing useful tips for those who want it.

But in an era when millions of people choose to opt out of marriage, critics say Washington is walking a fine line between providing information and advocacy.

Because advocating marriage is just plain bad. A man and a woman who commit to each other forever and then have dirty little offspring.

Well, that's just yuck.

But wait, if marriage is so bad, why do so many people want to twist it to include gay folks? Why would they want to participate in something that is so bad the government shouldn't promote it?

I don't know either. But, in a cat-like leap of twisted melted-watch logic, this makes some sort of sense:

"We leave lesbians-gays-transgender communities out of ... marriage and they do not get the full federal benefits, while they are the tax payers who helped pay for this Web site," said Melody Drnach, vice president for NOW Action.

Ok, if you buy that logic... and I don't, by the way... then poor people should not get the benefits that government offers. After all, they didn't pay the taxes that provided those benefits! Only those that contribute (i.e. pay taxes) should get anything out of the government, right?

Damn it when logic gets in the way of an agenda! Damn it all to hell!


Military

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I am an Active Trader

I have changed jobs. Sort of. I have decided, with the support of JILL that I am now an Investor/Stock Trader and on the side I'm a Soldier for the Army. Still love the Army, glad I put in 20 and all that, but it's time to start working for my family instead of for the government. So the next few years will see me transitioning from Soldier to Trader. And because I'm so motivated, excited and committed, I'll be the best Trader there is.

What I'm looking for now is a mentor. Anybody out there know anything about Trading or know someone that does and is willing to take on a protege? I have what I believe to be a good start... a "foundation" if you will. But I need someone who is willing to spend just a little time pointing me in the right direction... and more importantly, keeping me motivated.


Military

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Farmer-Soldier

Is there anything the American Soldier can't do? Via Army Times:

About 65 soldiers from the Tennessee National Guard will deploy in late February to Afghanistan as part of an agribusiness development team.

The soldiers, who are training at Camp Atterbury, Ind., before going overseas, will use their expertise to work with Afghan farmers and organizations in areas such as agronomy; fruit, vegetable and livestock production; civil engineering; water management and beekeeping.

Military

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