Afghan, US forces kill 55 Taliban after ambush

US and Afghan forces fought a major battle with the Taliban and "inflicted heavy casualties" on the force just miles from the Pakistani border on June 20, Combined Joint Task Force - 101 reported.
More than 55 Taliban fighters, including three senior leaders, were reported killed, 25 were wounded and three were captured by a combined air and ground counterattack after a Taliban force ambushed a patrol in Paktika province. "Patrols in the ambush area continue to report additional enemy casualties," the US military reported.
The attack occurred in the northeastern corner of Paktika province, close to the Pakistani border on a road between the districts of Zirok and Orgun districts. The US Army maintains Forward Operating Base Orgun-E in the region to interdict Taliban cross border raids.

US forces kill al Qaeda's leader in Mosul

US special operations forces scored a major victory in Mosul today. US forces killed al Qaeda's emir, or leader, of the northern Iraq city during a raid on a safe house.
The emir, who has not been named, was killed after a special operations forces team from Task Force 88, the hunter-killer teams assigned to take down terrorists in Iraq, stormed a building in Mosul. The commandos opened fire after one of the terrorists attempted to detonate his suicide vest was shot and another reached for a pistol. A woman with the group attempted to detonate the vest on the dead al Qaeda operative.

The New York Times Version Of Historical Atrocities

This is a must read, please follow the link and read the whole thing.

To get an idea of what I’m talking about, let’s examine some highlights from the history of the Times — not only America’s most famous newspaper, but the one from which the nation’s media have, to an extraordinary extent, taken their lead for generations. These highlights do not even begin to tell the whole story of the Times’s treatment of totalitarianism over the decades, of course, but they point to something chronic, unhealthy, and dishonest at the heart of the Gray Lady’s editorial sensibility that has yet to be effectively addressed - and that has its counterparts in countless less prominent media on which the Times has long exerted a major influence.

Hero: Brian Neuman

Brian Neuman

Because Brian enlisted in the service as a Ranger during his first stint with the Army, he did all of his ranger training at Fort Benning, Georgia. He was subsequently assigned to Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, where he remained for four years. Only once did he come close to combat during that enlistment, when his unit was deployed off Haiti in 1994 in Operation Uphold Democracy to end an unlawful military takeover of that country from its democratically elected government. As the security situation on the ground worsened, diplomacy backed by the threat of military force won the day before combat was necessary to end a coup that had brought a new reign of terror upon the Haitian people. Honorably discharged from his first enlistment, Brian earned an associate degree from Bristol Community College in Massachusetts and worked in the construction industry for a few years. However, after the events of September 11, 2001, Brian felt a strong inner force of patriotism compelling him to return to the service of his country.

Some years had passed, and he was unable to get back into the Ranger program. He went into psychological operations, since that was a way to get attached to a Ranger battalion. After going through training all over again, as well as advanced infantry training in psychological operation, Brian studied the Arabic language for six months.

When he went to Afghanistan in November 2003, Brian got his wish. He was attached to his old outfit, the 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, for the first three months of his seven-month tour and spent the remaining four months with another battalion from the same regiment. He saw plenty of combat while in Afghanistan, but no major fighting. As he described it, “We did a lot of missions but had just had little contacts with the enemy.” What Brian did emphasize was the severity of the climate in which the troops operated – the austere mountain landscape and extreme cold of winter.

Fort Bragg, North Carolina may be “The Home of the Rangers,” but garrison life didn’t appeal to Brian when he returned to the United States in May 2004. He managed to get deployed to Iraq in August 2004, just three months after returning from Afghanistan.

In Iraq, Brian was attached to the 1st Marines Division doing psychological operations in the dangerous area surrounding the Sunni city of Fallujah. At the time, instability was mounting inside the city; it would culminate in the Battle for Fallujah, launched November 7, 2004. Brian was heavily involved in the battle from the first day. He led a team into the city in a Bradley Fighting Vehicle on November 7, 8 and 9, but they came out at night when the city calmed down. On November 10, the city did not calm down, and they maintained their presence overnight.

The following day, November 11, Brian’s team, which included his interpreter and two soldiers, had been inside their Bradley for 36 hours. They had been hit by 10 to 15 rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), but all of them bounced off without doing any harm to the troops and the interpreter inside. However, at noon, the Bradley was hit by an explosively formed projectile (EFP), which hit the vehicle about six inches from Brian’s arm and penetrated three inches of steel before entering the Bradley.The EFP took off Brian’s arm at the elbow and ripped across his chest, cutting his pistol and everything else he had on his chest in half. “Thank God for my body armor,” Brian said. “It saved my life.” The EFP passed through the body of Brian’s interpreter, killing him instantly. Then, it went up into the turret of the Bradley, cooking off many rounds of ammunition.

As the smoke in the vehicle cleared, Brian saw that his arm would never be reattached to his body; the destruction was too bad. Brian’s soldiers were unharmed and were looking at him as if he were a ghost. He got them out of their trance so they could apply pressure to his wound and stop the bleeding. They got out of the Bradley. Brian went first, running for a medic holding his arm. The two soldiers covered him as all three took small-arms fire from the enemy. Brian is proud of his soldiers. Due to their presence of mind, all three survived the Battle for Fallujah.

Recuperation: Brian had his first major surgery at a medical aid station in Iraq. From there he went to the military hospital at Balad Airbase in Iraq, and on to the Army’s Landstuhl Regional Army Medical Center in Germany. He arrived at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., within a week of his injury. He had five surgeries as a result of his wounds.

“You feel guilty at first because your friends are still in Iraq and you’re not with them,’ said Brian of the time after his arrival back in the United States, “but then you realize that you’re not going to be able to do what you’ve been doing any longer. There are a lot of things you can do to deal with that, and one thing I did was focus on the next big event outside the hospital.” Of course, “big events outside the hospital” are a major piece of the rehabilitative program offered by the Wounded Warrior Project.Involvement with WWP: The event that captured Brian’s attention was the Bataan Memorial Death March of 2004. This 26.2-mile trek is held annually in the brutal desert environment of New Mexico’s White Sands Missile Range to honor the World War II troops who suffered the horrors of the Bataan Death March. Many of the wounded soldiers who participate carry 35-pound packs as they drive their bodies through this grueling march. Brian has participated every year since his return from Iraq, and he loves the World War II veterans he meets as a result of this event.

Describing the value of events like this, Brian said, “It’s so important to have the recreational opportunities that these events provide, but it certainly doesn’t end there. These events get injured troops out of the hospital environment. They get the minds of the troops focused on something. It really helped me, and I see how much it helps others to get out and do it."

“Take a leg amputee learning to walk on ice. If that veteran goes on a ski trip with the Wounded Warrior Project, he or she will walk on ice for the first time while surrounded by therapists and prosthetics professionals. That’s a whole lot better than just walking out of your house the first time and doing it on your own.” Brian explains.

Brian was medically retired from the Army on September 28, 2005, and went to work for the Wounded Warrior Project the following day. He loves the WWP mission and talks about it in terms of the organization’s logo, which features a soldier carrying a wounded comrade off the field of battle. “When you wear a shirt or hat with the WWP logo on it, you’re not just another guy with one arm. You’re a wounded soldier. That’s important. It says something to the people you meet.”Speaking of his work with the Wounded Warrior Project, Brian says, “I want to use my injury in a positive way, and WWP is the only organization I’d want to do it with. It feels great to be of use to other people.

“I never felt I could make a difference in the life of another person, but now that happens all the time. To see another wounded soldier do something for the very first time and get really excited about it – now, that’s awesome!“I love giving people the tools to adjust to life after they’ve been injured – to transition to civilian life or to return to the military. That’s cool. And to help military families with the little things that can go wrong and the problems that can turn up – that’s really rewarding!”

Wounded Hero: John Fernandez

John Fernandez

John trained as an artillery officer at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery. He went to Kuwait with the first wave of troops in Operation Iraqi Freedom and was among those who moved into Iraq on March 19, 2003, the very first day of the war.
John’s unit was hit by indirect fire, mortars and enemy artillery, but they fought their way through. On April 3, 2003, John and his troops had just moved through the Karbala Gap and were about 30 kilometers south of Baghdad. They were firing artillery missions in support of maneuvers moving in on the Iraqi capital.
While doing reconnaissance in a Humvee, John and his men were taking shifts at watch while the others slept during the night. John heard what he first thought was one of his rocket launchers, but it was really incoming fire.
There was a horrendous explosion. When John came to, he checked out what was left of his legs and screamed, realizing his life had changed forever. But John had men to lead, even though his body was mangled. He dragged himself back to the vehicle to save his gunner who had also been wounded.
The Humvee was spewing fuel. There was fire in some places. After John dragged the gunner some distance, two other soldiers came and took him the rest of the way. Then, as they carried John away, the Humvee blew up, knocking them to the ground. The vehicle blazed, with ammunition cooking off like crazy. Finally, a helicopter flew John to a hospital in Kuwait.
“Three men died that day,” said John. “Once I got to the hospital in Kuwait, I felt pretty much lucky to be alive. I don’t feel sorry for myself.”
Recuperation: John arrived at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., on April 11, 2003. “One of the doctors explained my options, and I said, go ahead and do what you gotta do.”
John’s left foot was amputated, as was his right leg below the knee. There were 12 surgeries altogether.
John is very straightforward in describing rehabilitation: “It’s a crawl, walk, run, skip process. I wasn’t going to give up until I was able to run. It took time more than anything else. Your body has to get used to the prosthesis and the new situation.”
That may sound like it took one heck of a long time, but John walked down the aisle and danced when he married his wife, Kristi, on October 11, in a big wedding ceremony that they were unable to have when they were first married on December 27, 2002. Running came very soon after that as John trained on how to run on his new legs. And he got a major round of applause when he played lacrosse on the West Point alumni team.
Involvement with Wounded Warrior Project: So early in the war, the Wounded Warrior Project had not yet been born when 1st Lieutenant John Fernandez arrived at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. But the organization captured his imagination when he learned about it from another West Point alumnus, whose brother was among WWP’s first staff members.
Long before John ever went to work for the organization, his enthusiasm boiled over: “The Wounded Warrior Project is the main point of reference for the transition from the military hospital to civilian life. They help you cut through all the red tape. They’re a real group of people doing just the right things in terms of helping wounded soldiers.”
“From the beginning, the Wounded Warrior Project has had the right mindset and the right goals," John states. “We see on the news that a lot of troops are being killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, but many more are getting hurt over there and they must not be forgotten. Dealing with what has happened to the wounded is going to take a long time – a period of years, a lifetime really. That’s what America has to confront, and the Wounded Warrior Project is getting the work underway.”
Feelings about Helping Other Vets thru WWP: As a West Point grad, John Fernandez could have worked toward a master’s degree in business and found his way into a high paying job. Maybe he will do that someday, but right now he has a different agenda. Shortly after he became aware of the Wounded Warrior Project, he felt a powerful pull toward a new way to serve our country. Toward the end of 2006, he discontinued his graduate studies and went to work as WWP’s Director of Alumni/Outreach.

Hero: Captain Kent G. Solheim

Kent G. Solheim

On July 27, 2007, Captain Kent Solheim, United States Army, participated in Operation VOLCANO II, an operation designed to capture a senior leader of the infamous Shiite militia, the Mahdi Army in the city of Karbala, Iraq.
Solheim’s team "fast roped" from helicopters into the area, and set up their position near the target building. Insurgents viciously attacked the American forces from three sides with rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and AK-47s. As the enemy fire got heavier, combat air support was called in to eliminate some of the aggressors, but a significant number of attackers remained to the north of Solheim and his unit. These insurgents used the dust that the assault force’s helicopters had kicked up to conceal their movements.
With the insurgents targeting one of the American positions, Solheim aggressively maneuvered his men to reinforce the beleaguered soldiers. It was then that he noticed an insurgent armed with an RPG, less than ten meters away from his position. Disregarding any concern for himself, he bravely charged forward, shot and killed the insurgent, saving the Americans in the nick of time. Realizing that the US forces in the building were in grave danger, Solheim exposed himself to enemy fire in order to gain a better position to cover the other soldiers in his unit. From this location, he managed to limit the insurgent fire on his team. In the final moments of the engagement he rounded a corner and he found himself face to face with an AK-47-wielding Mahdi fighter. Solheim made a split second decision, firing at and killing the insurgent. However, as the terrorist fell to the ground fatally wounded, he let loose one last burst from his AK-47, which wounded Solheim in the legs and back.
Thanks to Captain Solheim’s selfless and heroic actions, dozens of American lives were saved. His actions demonstrated how he placed the lives of his men over that of his own, earning him the Silver Star..

Hero: Chris Hahn

Chris Hahn

Chris shipped out for Iraq on the U.S.S Nassau in November 2005. After landing in Kuwait, his unit transported up to Hit, city on the Euphrates River about halfway between Baghdad and the Syrian border.
Inside the Sunni Triangle, this town was in dangerous territory, and Chris’ unit took on several hazardous missions and patrols. The mission right before Chris was injured was particularly dangerous, a long sweep from a distant town back to Hit in search of weapons caches stored by insurgents and terrorists. That mission was a success with 30 caches found and destroyed.
Just a couple days later, on January 30, 2006, Chris’ unit took on a night operation, dropping combat teams at locations outside Hit. Wartime conditions have left roads in this part of the world treacherous, filled with holes and rubble. Chris was manning a machine gun atop of one of the vehicles when it rolled. In the accident, Chris’ foot and ankle were crushed.
Recuperation: The doctors tried to save Chris’ foot; but, two months after he came home, it turned black, and a decision was made to amputate below the knee. After surgery at Bethesda Naval Medical Center, Chris did rehabilitation at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He spent a total of seven months of hospitalization and rehabilitation in Washington, D.C., but it wasn’t boring.
A highly patriotic young man, Chris used his time to see as many historic sites in our nation’s capital as he possible could. Besides that, as he got better, he also began to play golf again, feeling frustrated that his game was better on one leg than it was when he was using his new prosthetic leg. He even played a few rounds with a couple leaders of the Wounded Warrior Project. “I didn’t fare so well in those games,” he reported with a laugh. We’ll see how he does when he gets used to that prosthetic leg.
Involvement with Wounded Warrior Project: Chris first became aware of the Wounded Warrior Project when RJ visited his room at Bethesda and dropped off a WWP backpack filled with clothing items, toiletries, a CD player, and other stuff that comes in handy when a veteran just arrives at the hospital. Since that day, WWP has been a factor in Chris’ life. “This is not just a job for WWP representatives. For them, it’s like being your friend, being a buddy when you really need someone like that. Anything I needed, they were right there for me."
So far, WWP events Chris has participated in or plans to take part in include skiing, adaptive water sports, golf, and hunting. “Participating in WWP programs let me know that, even though I lost my leg, there was a lot that I can do – everything really. But it’s more than that. It gives you a sense that you’re not going through the process of dealing with your disability all by yourself. You’re not alone in what you’re going through.”

Leadership Summit For Wounded Warriors

Wounded Soldiers Gain Business Skills to Grow Career “Beyond the Battlefield”

Wounded Warrior Project and The Hartford to host inaugural Leadership Summit June 18-21

Master Aviator Michael Durant, inspiration for Black Hawk Down, to keynote

Jacksonville, FL. Wounded Warrior Project, a nonprofit organization that honors and empowers wounded warriors, announced today the inaugural “Beyond the Battlefield” Leadership Summit, an intensive four-day conference designed to maximize the leadership skills, financial success, and quality of life for men and women with serious injuries from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sixty wounded warriors from across the country are expected to attend the summit, offered through a partnership between the Wounded Warrior Project and The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: HIG), which will be held June 18-21 at TPC Sawgrass in Jacksonville, Fla.

“Through these leadership summits, The Hartford and the Wounded Warrior Project are giving the severely wounded men and women of our armed forces an amazing opportunity to improve their personal finance knowledge and develop the skills needed to form solid business relationships,” said Wounded Warrior Project Founder and Executive Director John Melia. “The leadership summits will help inspire and motivate the warriors to achieve their personal and business goals.”

Many challenges lie ahead for the nearly 31,000 wounded veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. The leadership summit is the latest addition to the growing number of services and programs Wounded Warrior Project offers wounded military personnel and veterans including career and benefits counseling, adaptive sporting activities and combat stress seminars. Thanks to a $250,000 commitment from The Hartford, veterans will attend the summit free of charge.

“These brave men and women are returning from the front lines with a diverse set of experiences, leadership skills, and knowledge that directly translate to the business world,” said Ramani Ayer, chairman and CEO of The Hartford. “As a corporate community and a nation, we have a responsibility to recognize the enormity of the sacrifice these individuals have made and to help them return from the battlefield to business.”

Programming at the summit will include:

A forum on small business ownership, showcasing a panel of veterans who have successfully pursued entrepreneurial ambitions after leaving the service. The panel will feature Charles B. Perry, chairman and CEO, of Pinkney-Perry Insurance Agency, Inc.; Karl Dorman, co-founder of Front Line Medical, a national producer and distributor of American made, top quality orthopedic and sports medicine care products; Brendan Hart, founder and CEO of Quantum Executive Group, a management consulting firm that focuses on solving issues of concern for leaders of companies, governments, and institutions; and Michael Durant, a seasoned helicopter pilot and inspiration for the film Black Hawk Down, now the owner of Pinnacle Solutions, Inc., a company that provides flight simulator devices. Durant will also serve as the summit’s keynote speaker.

A financial literacy seminar addressing the unique challenges of disabled veterans, based on content from The Hartford’s financial literacy program, Playbook for Life. The summit will also include one-on-one financial planning sessions for wounded warriors and their families.

A career fair that will offer one-on-one sessions with The Hartford’s vocational counselors, who are experts at integrating disabled individuals into the professional workforce. The fair will also feature a number of companies that have committed to hiring wounded veterans, whose leadership skills are in high demand by large corporations.

A seminar in business golf etiquette led by PGA TOUR professionals, followed by the inaugural Wounded Warrior Project Golf Tournament, where wounded veterans will play along with business leaders.

For a full schedule of summit events, please contact Ayla Hay at (757) 340-7425 or via e-mail at ayla@themeridiangroup.com. For more information on the business programs offered by The Hartford, please contact Kelly J. Carter at (860) 843-9420 or via email at Kelly.carter@hartfordlife.com.

About Wounded Warrior Project:
Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) is a non-profit that honors and empowers wounded warriors. Beginning at the bedside of the severely wounded, WWP provides programs and services designated to ease the burdens of these heroes and their families, aid in the recovery process and smooth the transition back to civilian life. For more information, please call (904) 296-7350 or visit www.woundedwarriorproject.org.

About The Hartford:
The Hartford, a Fortune 100 company, is one of the nation's largest diversified financial services companies, with 2007 revenues of $25.9 billion. The Hartford is a leading provider of investment products, life insurance and group benefits; automobile and homeowners products; and business property and casualty insurance. International operations are located in Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada, Brazil and Ireland. The Hartford's Internet address is www.thehartford.com.

Pinnacle Solutions Inc., Pinkney-Perry Insurance Agency, Inc., Front Line Medical, and Quantum Executive Group are not affiliates or subsidiaries of The Hartford.

Jeremy Feldbusch - Hero

Jeremy Feldbusch

Jeremy was assigned as a mortar man to the 3rd Battalion, of the elite 75th Ranger Regiment on April 5, 2002. In March 2003, he deployed with his fellow Rangers to Iraq for the opening of Operation Iraqi Freedom. There they participated in a critical battle to seize the Haditha Dam on the Euphrates River. This structure is two miles long, holding back 2.2 trillion gallons of water. If Saddam Hussein’s forces had succeeded in blowing up the dam, Baghdad and other cities downriver would have been flooded, setting the invasion back by months. Seizing and securing the dam made it possible for the U.S. Army’s 3rd Infantry Division to continue its drive to Baghdad.
On April 2, 2003, Jeremy’s unit was helping to guard that dam when Saddam’s Baathist forces subjected them to an intense artillery barrage. During the battle, a one-inch piece of red-hot shrapnel sliced through Jeremy’s right eye, crashing through his sinuses and lodging in the left side of his brain. It caused severe damage to the optic nerve of his left eye and sent splinters of bone throughout his brain.
Recuperation: Jeremy lost his right eye immediately upon the injury. After evacuation and transportation back to the United States, he faced seven hours of brain surgery. It threatened his life, but there was no alternative. He remained in a coma for several weeks. In the end, the sight of his remaining eye could not be saved. Further surgeries were necessary, including the reconstruction of Jeremy’s face. Then came a long recovery at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas.
Jeremy has gone on from there, learning to use a white cane, read Braille, and gain control of the mood swings that once controlled him due to the injury to his brain.
Involvement with Wounded Warrior Project: Jeremy has been a very prominent spokesperson for the Wounded Warrior project, even doing some legislative work with the organization. Among the programs in which he has participated with WWP is SoldierRide, a bicycling event in which Jeremy rode tandem with a sighted partner.

President Bush

For many Americans, there is no more pressing concern than the price of gasoline. Truckers and farmers and small business owners have been hit especially hard. Every American who drives to work, purchases food, or ships a product has felt the effect. And families across our country are looking to Washington for a response.
High oil prices are at the root of high gasoline prices. And behind those prices is the basic law of supply and demand. In recent years, the world's demand for oil has grown dramatically. Meanwhile, the supply of oil has grown much more slowly. As a result, oil prices have risen sharply, and that increase has been reflected at American gasoline pumps. Now much of the oil consumed in America comes from abroad -- that's what's changed dramatically over the last couple of decades. Some of that energy comes from unstable regions and unfriendly regimes. This makes us more vulnerable to supply shocks and price spikes beyond our control -- and that puts both our economy and our security at risk.
In the long run, the solution is to reduce demand for oil by promoting alternative energy technologies. My administration has worked with Congress to invest in gas-saving technologies like advanced batteries and hydrogen fuel cells. We've mandated a large expansion in the use of alternative fuels. We've raised fuel efficiency standards to ambitious new levels. With all these steps, we are bringing America closer to the day when we can end our addiction to oil, which will allow us to become better stewards of the environment.
In the short run, the American economy will continue to rely largely on oil. And that means we need to increase supply, especially here at home. So my administration has repeatedly called on Congress to expand domestic oil production. Unfortunately, Democrats on Capitol Hill have rejected virtually every proposal -- and now Americans are paying the price at the pump for this obstruction. Congress must face a hard reality: Unless Members are willing to accept gas prices at today's painful levels -- or even higher -- our nation must produce more oil. And we must start now. So this morning, I ask Democratic Congressional leaders to move forward with four steps to expand American oil and gasoline production.
First, we should expand American oil production by increasing access to the Outer Continental Shelf, or OCS. Experts believe that the OCS could produce about 18 billion barrels of oil. That would be enough to match America's current oil production for almost ten years. The problem is that Congress has restricted access to key parts of the OCS since the early 1980s. Since then, advances in technology have made it possible to conduct oil exploration in the OCS that is out of sight, protects coral reefs and habitats, and protects against oil spills. With these advances -- and a dramatic increase in oil prices -- congressional restrictions on OCS exploration have become outdated and counterproductive.
Republicans in Congress have proposed several promising bills that would lift the legislative ban on oil exploration in the OCS. I call on the House and the Senate to pass good legislation as soon as possible. This legislation should give the states the option of opening up OCS resources off their shores, provide a way for the federal government and states to share new leasing revenues, and ensure that our environment is protected. There's also an executive prohibition on exploration in the OCS. When Congress lifts the legislative ban, I will lift the executive prohibition.
Second, we should expand oil production by tapping into the extraordinary potential of oil shale. Oil shale is a type of rock that can produce oil when exposed to heat or other process[es]. In one major deposit -- the Green River Basin of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming -- there lies the equivalent of about 800 billion barrels of recoverable oil. That's more than three times larger than the proven oil reserves of Saudi Arabia. And it can be fully recovered -- and if it can be fully recovered it would be equal to more than a century's worth of currently projected oil imports.
For many years, the high cost of extracting oil from shale exceeded the benefit. But today the calculus is changing. Companies have invested in technology to make oil shale production more affordable and efficient. And while the cost of extracting oil from shale is still more than the cost of traditional production, it is also less than the current market price of oil. This makes oil shale a highly promising resource.
Unfortunately, Democrats in Congress are standing in the way of further development. In last year's omnibus spending bill, Democratic leaders inserted a provision blocking oil shale leasing on federal lands. That provision can be taken out as easily as it was slipped in -- and Congress should do so immediately.
Third, we should expand American oil production by permitting exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, or ANWR. When ANWR was created in 1980, Congress specifically reserved a portion for energy development. In 1995, Congress passed legislation allowing oil production in this small fraction of ANWR's 19 million acres. With a drilling footprint of less than 2,000 acres -- less than one-tenth of 1 percent of this distant Alaskan terrain -- America could produce an estimated 10 billion barrels of oil. That is roughly the equivalent of two decades of imported oil from Saudi Arabia. Yet my predecessor vetoed this bill.
In the years since, the price of oil has increased seven-fold, and the price of American gasoline has more than tripled. Meanwhile, scientists have developed innovative techniques to reach ANWR's oil with virtually no impact on the land or local wildlife. I urge members of Congress to allow this remote region to bring enormous benefits to the American people.
And finally, we need to expand and enhance our refining capacity. Refineries are the critical link between crude oil and the gasoline and diesel fuel that drivers put in their tanks. With recent changes in the makeup of our fuel supply, upgrades in our refining capacity are urgently needed. Yet it has been nearly 30 years since our nation built a new refinery, and lawsuits and red tape have made it extremely costly to expand or modify existing refineries. The result is that America now imports millions of barrels of fully-refined gasoline from abroad. This imposes needless costs on American consumers. It deprives American workers of good jobs. And it needs to change.
So today I'm proposing measures to expedite the refinery permitting process. Under the reformed process that I propose, challenges to refineries and other energy project permits must be brought before the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals within 60 days of the issuance of a permit decision. Congress should also empower the Secretary of Energy to establish binding deadlines for permit decisions, and to ensure that the various levels of approval required in the refinery permitting process are handled in a timely way.
With these four steps, we will take pressure off gas prices over time by expanding the amount of American-made oil and gasoline. We will strengthen our national security by reducing our reliance on foreign oil. We will benefit American workers by keeping our nation competitive in the global economy -- and by creating good jobs in construction, and engineering, and refining, maintenance, and many other areas.
The proposals I've outlined will take years to have their full impact. There is no excuse for delay -- as a matter of fact, it's a reason to move swiftly. I know the Democratic leaders have opposed some of these policies in the past. Now that their opposition has helped drive gas prices to record levels, I ask them to reconsider their positions. If congressional leaders leave for the 4th of July recess without taking action, they will need to explain why $4-a-gallon gasoline is not enough incentive for them to act. And Americans will rightly ask how high oil -- how high gas prices have to rise before the Democratic-controlled Congress will do something about it.
I know this is a trying time for our families, but our country has faced similar strains before and we've overcome them together -- and we can do that again. With faith in the innovative spirit of our people and a commitment to results in Washington, we will meet the energy challenges we face -- and keep our economy the strongest, most vibrant, and most hopeful in the world.

From The President

This week I'm traveling in Europe. In the past few days, I have visited Slovenia, Germany, Italy, and the Vatican. I'm spending this Saturday in France. And I will conclude my trip in the United Kingdom.
In my meetings, I've discussed our shared efforts to advance peace and prosperity around the world. America has strong partners in leaders like Italy's Silvio Berlusconi, Germany's Angela Merkel, France's Nicolas Sarkozy, and Britain's Gordon Brown. And together we're pursuing an agenda that is broad and far-reaching.
America and Europe are cooperating to open new opportunities for trade and investment. We're working to tear down regulatory barriers that hurt our businesses and consumers. We're striving to make this the year that the world completes an ambitious Doha trade agreement -- which will open up new markets for American goods and services, and help alleviate poverty around the world.
America and Europe are cooperating to address the twin challenges of energy security and climate change while keeping our economies strong. We're working to diversify our energy supplies by developing and financing new clean energy technologies. And we're working toward an international agreement that commits every major economy to slow, stop, and eventually reverse the growth of greenhouse gases.
America and Europe are cooperating to widen the circle of development and prosperity. We're leading the world in providing food aid, improving education for boys and girls, and fighting disease. Through the historic commitments of the United States and other G8 countries, we're working to turn the tide against HIV/AIDS and malaria in Africa. And to achieve this noble goal, all nations must keep their promises to deliver this urgent aid.
America and Europe are cooperating on our most solemn duty: protecting our citizens. Our nations are applying the tools of intelligence, finance, law enforcement, diplomacy, and -- when necessary -- military power to break up terror networks and deny them safe havens. And to protect against the prospect of ballistic missile attacks emanating from the Middle East, we're developing a shared system of missile defense.
We're also working together to ensure that Iran is not allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon. This week, America and our European allies sent a clear and unmistakable message to the regime in Tehran: It must verifiably suspend its enrichment activities -- or face further isolation and additional sanctions. Together, America and Europe are pursuing strong diplomacy with Iran, so that future generations can look back and say that we came together to stop this threat to our people.
In the long run, the most important way we can protect our people is to defeat the terrorists' hateful ideology by spreading the hope of freedom. So America and Europe are working together to advance the vision of two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side-by-side in security and peace. We're working together to protect the sovereignty of Lebanon's young democracy. And we're working together to strengthen the democratically elected governments in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In all of these areas, the United States and Europe have agreed that we must take action -- and that we must go forward together. The level and breadth of the cooperation between America and our European allies today is unprecedented. And together we're making the world a safer and more hopeful place.

Hero: Master Sergeant Brendan O'Connor

For an additional account of this harrowing battle, refer to Captain Sheffield Ford’s narrative

Surrounded on all sides by hardened Taliban fighters, a vastly outnumbered force of Americans and Afghans fought nearly to the last bullet. In June 2006, 47-year-old Master Sergeant Brendan O’Connor of the 7th Special Forces Group – the Army’s elite Green Berets – was the team’s medic during Operation Kaika. The Taliban believed this isolated group of Americans and Afghans, numbering less than 70, would be an easy target. They were gravely mistaken.
When the terrorists sprang their trap, the sky exploded with the thunder of rifle, machine-gun, and grenade fire from both sides. The main group was separated by more than 100 yards, and the situation at both positions was dire.
O’Connor heard over the radio that several wounded men ahead of a forward position could be overrun at any moment. Leading a team of eight, he quickly traversed the distance between the two positions and took stock of the situation. There he saw two wounded men – Staff Sergeant Matthew Binney and Staff Sergeant Joseph Fuerst – farther ahead and knew he had to reach them. Disregarding three enemy machine-guns, O’Connor dropped to his stomach and began an arduous crawl to the wounded troops. Restricted in his movements by his protective armor, O’Connor paused and removed the only shield he had from the hostile onslaught, his Interceptor bullet proof vest. He traded his armor for a cloth sign that he pinned to his back to alert the close-air support attack helicopters that he was friendly.
The 200 foot crawl was nearly an hour and a half of constant enemy fire directed at the brave American. Reaching a compound to which he could pull the wounded, he singlehandedly moved the two soldiers there and performed emergency first-aid. As night fell, O’Connor made several trips to move the Binney and Fuerst back to the advanced position. From there, they were able to medevac the injured, and begin their own exfiltration to the security of the patrol base.
While Fuerst did not survive his severe injuries, Binney lived because of the bold decision made by a 47-year-old-medic more concerned with the lives of his friends than his own. For his actions, O’Connor was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the first time a member of the 7th Special Forces Group was awarded this honor since July of 1964.

Wounded Hero: Javier Alvarez

Javier Alvarez

Javier did three combat tours in Iraq during his military service. He saw extensive fighting.
On January 3, 2003, Javier was deployed to Iraq, among the first Americans sent there as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. After making contact with the enemy at the port town of Umm Kasar, Javier’s unit proceeded to Al Basra and then to the city of An Nasiriayah. For the rest of this tour, the unit did security patrols, and assisted the civilian populations in whatever ways were possible.
Javier returned to the States after just a few months, but was back in Iraq on February 28, 2004, in time to participate in the First Battle for Fallujah. “We were there to relieve an airborne unit. We saw plenty of firefights and took a lot of IED hits.” (An IED is an improvised explosive device, a crude bomb or landmine, usually homemade, that is used by the insurgents and terrorists fighting American forces in Iraq. They have caused a large number of deaths and very severe disabilities among our troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan.)
“We did anti-mortar patrols and we ran a sweep of the city [of Fallujah]. We took casualties whenever we went into the city – rocket-propelled grenades and small arms. But we kept pushing into the city over a period of several weeks in a controlled advance on the enemy.”
After the First Battle for Fallujah, Javier’s unit pulled out of the city and did highway patrols outside the city. During this deployment, 20 Marines from Javier’s unit were killed in action. “I don’t know how many were wounded in action,” said Javier; “but it was many. Many.” Javier returned to the States on Oct. 14, 2004.
Javier was awarded the Navy Achievement Medal with Valor Device for his service during this deployment. His unit was doing a street patrol when they were ambushed. When Javier saw what was happening, he ran back to help, with enemy rounds impacting against a wall just inches from his head.
Javier’s third tour in Iraq ran from July 17, 2005 until he was wounded on Nov. 16, 2005. His unit was first tasked with providing highway security along a main supply route around the area of Al Asad Airfield.
After that, they participated in Operation Steel Current, clearing enemy fighters out of three cities in the northern part of Iraq, near the Syrian border. They encountered few problems and took no casualties in the first two cities, but they made contact with the enemy in the third city and one member of Javier’s platoon was killed in action. Another platoon suffered far more killed and wounded that day, Javier reported.
Next, Javier’s unit was assigned to tank security, and they continued their clearing activities into farm areas. On Nov. 16, 2005, the unit saw enemy forces. A tank took off after them, and there was AK-47 fire in return. Javier’s platoon took cover as the tank shot out some houses. As the platoon approached a house, they saw there were enemy out back.
Javier shot. As he reloaded, He was shot by a guy who was already down. He got behind a wall, and shot into a window. The enemy threw a grenade out the window. Javier picked it up and tried to throw it away from himself and the men he was with, but it blew his hand off.
“Five of our guys were killed that day. Eleven were wounded. Heroic things happened, I can tell you. Altogether, 18 insurgents were killed. And we uncovered a huge weapons cache.”
But everything went black for Javier. And when his consciousness returned, his hand was gone and he had four bullet wounds in his legs. His buddies put a tourniquet on his arm, and he waited for a helicopter to take him to medical care.
After he was stabilized in Iraq, he was whisked off to the Army’s Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany for three days. From there he went to Bethesda Naval Medical Center for three months, Walter Reed Army Medical Center for five months, and Brooke Army Medical Center for ten months. It’s a long process of hospitalization and rehabilitation, but it takes a long time to recover from the extensive wounds Javier suffered … and then to learn the use of a myoelectric hand. But Javier likes this high-tech prosthetic device and uses it 95% of the time.

Hero: 2nd LT Philip Palmer

Days after the "troop surge" was announced, a young second lieutenant would persevere under fire to lead a burgeoning Iraqi Army unit to victory. Second Lieutenant Philip D. Palmer of the United States Marine Corps was assigned to a Military Transition Team working with the 1st battalion of the Iraqi Army during operations in the Ma’Laab district in Ramadi, Iraq. The morning of January 14th, 2007, would serve as a defining moment in his life and the lives of all the Iraqi troops he shepherded through danger.
The Iraqi platoon, led by Iraqi Lieutenant Allah, worked its way through the dangerous city streets, unaware of what was ahead. As the patrol bounded ahead, gunfire erupted from nearby positions hitting Lieutenant Allah squarely in his armor. While the rounds were stopped by his layers of armor, he was shell-shocked and stunned by the near-death experience. With Allah paralyzed by fear and incapable of leading his men under such hectic conditions, Palmer seized the initiative.
Seeing that words alone would not be enough to organize this nascent Iraqi unit, Palmer knew he must act. Standing like a monolith in the face of incoming enemy fire, Palmer took command of the broken unit, rallying them through his bold example. Taking point, he pushed forward towards the attacking insurgents with his newly inspired Iraqi unit who followed close through the chaotic streets.
Palmer kept in mind the mission and the 13 Iraqis he was attached to as he led the fight against the insurgent forces. At the end of the day, he successfully concluded the operation and brought every one of the Iraqi soldiers back to base alive. His heroic assumption of command and leadership under intense attack earned him the Army Commendation Medal with Valor.

Hero: Captain Sheffield F. Ford

Sheffield F. Ford III
The 23rd and 24th of June 2006 would be a crucible of leadership and heroism for an already battle-tested and decorated captain in the U.S. Army’s Special Forces. Captain Sheffield F. Ford III was in charge of some 16 Americans and 46 Afghan Army soldiers during "Operation Kaika" in the Panjawi District of Afghanistan’s Kandahar province. In the bleak farmland, criss-crossed by ditches and barren expanses, Ford led his unit to "re-establish order" in the contested region, entering a Spartan Afghan village on the 23rd. The dilapidated buildings and mud huts were hiding a Taliban force of unknown strength with one thought on their minds: killing Americans and the Afghan soldiers working to take back their country. In their hastily prepared patrol base, Ford organized a perimeter as night enveloped the isolated Special Forces team and their Afghan allies.
As darkness fell, "all hell [broke] loose." From three directions, rifle, machine gun, and rocket-propelled grenade fire landed and exploded on their position. One of Ford’s squad mates later said they had "not seen this disciplined execution of infantry tactics" by the Taliban. Ford dug his men in to repel the assault.
Moving from position to position, he alternated between barking orders, firing at the enemy, and rallying the Afghan soldiers with him. As the night crept on, the remaining Taliban fighters withdrew and Ford took stock of the situation.
Early the next day, he ordered some of his Special Forces operators to lead a team of Afghans into the suspected Taliban hideout. As the unit engaged the hostiles, it was divided in two when some 200 Taliban fighters poured out, separating the American attackers and surrounding the make-shift patrol base.
Over the radio, Ford was connected with one of the translators who had been leading the mission on the Taliban position. The translator saw two Americans were fighting despite being severely wounded and feared capture at any minute. Knowing the ramifications of being taken alive by the Taliban, the translator told Ford he would, if ordered, end the suffering of the troops and his own life rather than be captured. Ford responded, "We’ve got people coming." Ford organized and launched an effective rescue to recover the translator and wounded troops, even if they were mortally wounded. He would not allow American or Afghan alike to be taken in any condition by the Taliban.
The adversaries fought so close to one another that the terrorists screamed to the Afghan soldiers that, "we can forgive you; just put your weapons down and walk away. We want the Americans alive." The months of training and the ties formed between the Americans and the Afghans were put to the test. Seeing the example of Ford running to each of the beleaguered fighters in the face of constant fire, and remembering all they had endured alongside their American trainers, the Afghan soldiers responded to the Taliban’s offer with well-aimed shots and an unbreakable defense.
Exemplifying the U.S. Special Forces motto, De Opresso Liber (to liberate the oppressed), Ford inspired his Afghan troops to stand up to the Taliban fighters and bring them down. He led an evacuation of all the men under his command, wounded included, out of the village under the cover of Apache attack choppers to ensure all would be safe, while sealing the fate of the insurgents. Ford successfully extricated his men, and the unit had more than 120 confirmed kills. Just as the Americans and Afghans had trained together, they sacrificed together; two American and three Afghan soldiers would not leave the battlefield alive. For his accomplishments in the face of such an overpowering force, Ford was awarded the Silver Star, the nation’s third highest military award.

Hero: Ted Wade

Ted Wade

Ted went to Afghanistan in the summer of 2002, spending six months moving from place to place with his unit, rounding up Taliban and al-Qaida insurgents. He saw combat patrolling in and around Kandahar and Bagram, and later out of Khost in the mountains. The unit performed numerous raids looking for weapon stockpiles, and they searched for enemy troops coming over from Pakistan. Ted got through this tour unharmed.
In July of 2003, he had only five days' notice before he was sent to Iraq. He first went to Baghdad, and then to Mahmudiyah, a Shiite town near the southern edge of the Sunni Triangle. In this area, Ted’s unit did a number of patrols looking for weapons of mass destructions (WMD). They also experienced several firefights with insurgent forces.
On February 14, 2004, Ted was in the fifth vehicle in a convoy. The first four vehicles got past an improvised explosive device (IED) planted in the road. Roofless, doorless, and unarmored, Ted’s Humvee didn’t offer much protection to the nine American soldiers it carried.
When that unarmored Humvee hit the IED, the blast did its worst. It tore Ted’s right arm off. It broke one of his legs. Worst of all, the damage to Ted’s brain was serious.
He was rushed from the scene of the explosion to the 31st Combat Support Hospital in Baghdad, and on to the Army’s Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany for neurosurgery. Because the hospital there was not equipped to deal with Ted’s specific case, he was transferred to a civilian hospital in Germany, where his life was saved by a neurosurgeon. He didn’t wake up until after his arrival at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
Ted suffered multiple injuries, and his recovery continues. It will be a long journey; however, Ted is absolutely committed to the fullest possible success in his recovery, and he has the support of an extraordinarily determined wife.
This has proven exceptionally important. In Germany, American doctors were ready to give up on Ted, believing he had no chance to live. However, one doctor kept Ted in a civilian hospital in a nation that does not allow people to be removed from life support. When Ted returned to the United States, doctors from the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs (VA) gave Ted little chance of ever walking and talking again. Yet Ted’s wife, Sarah, fought to get the best possible treatment for her husband. Eventually, she got the VA to authorize a nongovernment doctor, one of the nation’s leading experts on traumatic brain injury, to treat Ted.
Considering the dire initial predictions, Ted has achieved amazing results in his rehabilitation. He’s not only walking and talking. When we first interviewed Ted and Sarah Wade at the end of 2006, he was participating in the first of three ski clinics during that winter.

Why the Economy Is Better Than You Think

The media love bad news. Bad news sells. A story with the headline "America's Best Airports" probably won't be as popular as a story called "America's Worst Airports." For another example, here's a story about the U.S. economy from the latest issue of Newsweek, "Why It's Worse Than You Think." Not a surprising piece, given that the magazine made its recession call back in February, though the economy has stubbornly refused to roll over.

Barack has stated his support for LuoRaila Odinga (Opposition Leader inKenya who signed a 'Shariah pact' With Muslims and claims to be Obama's cousin) and is married to Ida Odinga. They have four children - two sons andtwo daughters. His oldest son, Fidel, isnamed after Fidel Castro.

Because Of These Brave Souls....

June 2008
VA National Cemeteries – History and Development

On July 17, 1862, in the second summer of a war that few had believed would last more than a few months, Congress enacted legislation authorizing the president to purchase “cemetery grounds … for soldiers who shall have died in the service of the country.” Fourteen national cemeteries were established that first year, including one in Sharpsburg, Md., where 4,476 Union soldiers were laid to rest after the one-day Battle of Antietam. (By comparison, approximately 3,000 American, British and Canadian fighters died on June 6, 1944, during the invasion of Normandy.)

By 1870, the remains of nearly 300,000 Union dead had been buried in 73 national cemeteries. Most of the cemeteries were located in the Southeast, near the battlefields and campgrounds of the Civil War. After the war, Army teams searched the countryside for the remains of soldiers who died in battle. They were buried in the new national cemeteries, which were enclosed by brick walls and entered through ornate gates. Tragically, the identities are unknown for nearly half the Union dead who are buried in national cemeteries.

What would become a national cemetery system operated by the Army evolved slowly after the Civil War. All honorably discharged Union veterans became eligible for burial in 1873. Cemeteries associated with military posts on the western frontier, such as Ft. McPherson, Neb., were added in the late 19th century.

In 1923, Congress established the American Battle Monuments Commission, an independent agency responsible for maintaining burial grounds in foreign countries for U.S. armed forces members who die overseas. The commission maintains 24 American military cemeteries as well as monuments and memorials.

In the 1930s, new national cemeteries were established to serve veterans living in metropolitan areas such as New York, Baltimore, Minneapolis, San Diego, San Francisco and San Antonio. Others associated with battlefields such as Gettysburg and Antietam were transferred from Army control to the National Park Service because of their historical significance.

In 1973, Congress authorized the transfer of 82 national cemeteries from the Department of the Army to the Veterans Administration, now the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Joining with 21 VA cemeteries located at hospitals and nursing homes, the National Cemetery System comprised 103 cemeteries after the transfer.

On Nov. 11, 1998, congressional legislation changed the name of the National Cemetery System (NCS) to the National Cemetery Administration (NCA).

Today, there are 141 national cemeteries. Through its National Cemetery Administration, VA operates 125 of them. Two national cemeteries – Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia and the Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. – are still administered by the Army. Fourteen national cemeteries continue to be maintained by the Department of the Interior’s National Park Service.

More than three million people, including veterans of every war and conflict – from the Revolutionary War to the war in Iraq and Afghanistan – are buried in VA’s national cemeteries, which have a total of more than 17,000 acres of land from Hawaii to Maine and from Alaska to Puerto Rico. More than 300 recipients of the Medal of Honor are buried in VA’s national cemeteries. More than 950 monuments and memorials recall the courage and sacrifice of Americans – from Revolutionary War hero Nathan Hale, at Calverton, N.Y., National Cemetery, to America’s prisoners of war memorialized at Riverside, Calif., National Cemetery.

In April 2007, VA opened its 125th cemetery – South Florida VA National Cemetery. Currently, 65 VA cemeteries in 34 states are able to provide both casket and cremation burials for America’s veterans and their families. An additional 21 provide burial for family members of those already buried and can also bury cremated remains. The remaining 39 provide burials only if a family member is already interred in the cemetery.

In 1999 and 2003, with the passage of two laws, Congress directed VA to establish 12 new national cemeteries. Six have been opened -- at Fort Sill, Okla.; Pittsburgh, Detroit, Atlanta; Sacramento and West Palm Beach, Fla. The rest – one in Alabama, one in California, two in Florida, one in Pennsylvania and one in South Carolina – will be located near large populations of veterans who do not have access currently to burial in a veterans cemetery.

In addition to providing a gravesite, VA opens and closes the grave, provides a headstone or marker, a Presidential Memorial Certificate and a U.S. Flag, and perpetually cares for the grave at no cost to the veteran’s family.

To complement national cemeteries and expand burial options for veterans, VA assists states in building or improving state veterans cemeteries through its State Cemetery Grants Program. VA will pay for construction costs in exchange for states providing the land and operating the cemeteries. VA has helped establish 69 veterans cemeteries in 37 states and U.S. territories, which provided more than 23,000 burials in fiscal year 2007. Since the program began in 1980, VA has awarded 163 grants totaling more than $315 million.

Today, more than 23 million veterans, and current and former Reservists and National Guard members with 20 years of service, have earned the right to burial in a national cemetery. Veterans with discharges “other than dishonorable,” their spouses and dependent children are eligible for burial in a VA national cemetery. Those who die on active duty may also be buried in a national cemetery.

For more information, contact the nearest national cemetery or a VA regional office at 1-800-827-1000. Information also is available on VA’s home page at http://www.cem.va.gov/.
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From The President Of The United States

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Congress will soon vote on legislation to fund our troops serving on the front lines of the war on terror. This is an opportunity for Congress to give our men and women in uniform the tools they need to protect us, and Congress should approve these vital funds immediately.
Congress has had this funding request for more than a year, and there is no reason for further delay. This money is urgently needed to support military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. I put forward some reasonable requirements this bill must meet. First, this bill must give our troops the resources they need to defeat the terrorists and extremists. Second, the bill must not tie the hands of our commanders. Third, the bill must not exceed the reasonable and responsible funding levels I have requested.
Congress has had 16 months to decide how they will meet these requirements, and now the time has come for them to support our troops in harm's way. If Congress does not act, critical accounts at the Department of Defense will soon run dry. At the beginning of next month, civilian employees may face temporary layoffs. The department will have to close down a vital program that is getting potential insurgents off the streets and into jobs. The Pentagon will run out of money it needs to support critical day-to-day operations that help keep our Nation safe. And after July, the department will no longer be able to pay our troops -- including those serving in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Our men and women in uniform and their families deserve better than this. Around the world, our troops are taking on dangerous missions with skill and determination. In Afghanistan, they are delivering blows to the Taliban and al Qaeda. In Iraq, they've helped bring violence down to its lowest point since late March of 2004. Civilian deaths are down. Sectarian killings are down. As security has improved, the economy has improved as well, and political reconciliation is taking place at the grassroots and national levels. The Iraqi security forces are becoming more capable, and as they do, our troops are beginning to come home under a policy of return on success.
Each day, the men and women of our Armed Forces risk their lives to make sure their fellow citizens are safer. They serve with courage and honor. They've earned the respect of all Americans. And they deserve the full support of Congress. I often hear members of Congress say they oppose the war, but still support the troops. Now they have a chance to prove it. Congress should pass a responsible funding bill that gives our men and women in uniform the resources they need -- and the support they have earned.

Hero: With 5,521 Hours, He’s a ‘Driven’ Volunteer for Veterans

HOUSTON - Roy Fikes begins his volunteer day with a 2:30 a.m. wake up.
He gets ready, completes his paperwork, picks up his riders, and is on his way to Houston. Fikes plays a key role in making sure fellow veterans receive health care.
He is a volunteer; driving veterans from Bay City, Tx. for their appointments at Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center (MEDVAMC).
At the MEDVAMC, Fikes waits patiently for all passengers to finish their appointments before loading up to head home. No one is ever left behind, even if their appointments run late. He drives 180 miles round trip, at least three days a week.
Over the last four years, Fikes has volunteered 5,521 hours for the MEDVAMC’s Veterans Transportation Network.
Described by fellow veterans as easy going and always with a smile on his face, Fikes, 68, says he simply likes to help people, and realizes that he himself may someday need help. At times he faces challenges, such as getting caught in Hurricane Rita evacuation traffic because a patient
needed dialysis, or having to stay late because a veteran needed an unscheduled procedure, or driving a patient on Christmas day for life-saving dialysis.
Sometimes, he does not get home to his wife of 50 years until late in the evening, but she understands her husband is on a mission. “It feels good to do what I do,” said Fikes. “I know people need my help and I’m glad to give it.”
Bryan Dyck, Voluntary Service Program manager at the DeBakey VA Medical Center, says Fikes is “one of those extraordinary volunteers, who’s willing to do whatever it takes. I wish
we had ten more just like him.” For these reasons and for his
dedication to fellow veterans, Fikes was chosen as the MEDVAMC Volunteer of
the Year for 2007. To learn more about becoming a MEDVAMC volunteer, contact
Voluntary Services at (713) 794-7135 or vhahouvolunteer@va.gov. 􀂍

Hero: Corporal Moses Cardenas

On one hot August morning near Rawah, Iraq, Lance Corporal Moses Cardenas of the Marines 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion found his platoon barraged by an insurgent suicide bomb, numerous rocket-propelled grenades, and heavy machine gun fire. In the chaotic moments that followed, Cardenas would have to decide between attempting the rescue of his wounded sergeant or remain in his covered position until reinforcements arrived. The choice was simple.
Cardenas thought, "He was my sergeant; I had to do something," and with that he courageously charged 50 meters through the kill-zone to his wounded comrade. Running the gauntlet through enemy fire, he was shot in the neck by the spray of weapons’ fire. Undeterred, he arrived at Sgt. Randy Roedema’s exposed position and performed first-aid to stop the flow of blood from Roedema’s severe wounds.
With both Marines wounded and under the sights of numerous insurgents, Cardenas knew if he was to save his friend he must evacuate both of them to safety. With his M249 Squad Automatic Weapon charged and a grip on his injured sergeant, Cardenas rotated between firing his machine gun and pulling Roedema across the battlefield. Reaching the relative safety of his platoon’s convoy, Cardenas continued laying down suppressive fire until the situation came under control and medics could tend to the wounded Marines.
Cardenas was awarded the Silver Star, the third highest military award. Roedema would later reflect "I owe him my life." Four days after Cardenas saved his life, Roedema’s wife gave birth to their first child – a child that will have a father because of the selfless act preformed by Cardenas on that summer morning in Iraq.

Wounded Warrior & Hero: James Stuck

James Stuck


After two years at Fort Campbell, Ky, James was deployed to Iraq in October 2005. His unit was doing operations and convoys in and around Kirkuk, and basically saw no action before Dec. 20, 2005, the day they were assigned to escort a team of Army engineers who were going out to do road repair.
“You wouldn’t believe the holes in the roads due to bomb damage,” said Jim. “You could drop a VW beetle in them upside down, they were that big.”
James was driving an up-armored Humvee that hit an improved explosive device (IED). There was an explosion, and the next thing he remembers is waking up at the Army’s Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. James had been in-country two months and 23 days when he was injured.
He suffered amputation of his right foot, as well as injuries to his left foot and elbow.
As of this interview (12/8/06), James was slated to be medically discharged from the Army on December 20, 2006, exactly one year following his injury. On that day, he planned to be with the people he loved and “celebrate being alive.”
Recuperation: James had four surgeries in all. “In the beginning, rehab is really hard,” he said, “But if you beat the mental game, you’ve got it. You need to think of what you can do, not about what you lost.”

Sergeant Cameron Davis

While stationed in Iraq as a combat engineer, Sgt. Davis operated the Buffalo Armored Vehicle. Sgt. Cameron Davis was tasked with the dangerous and difficult duty of clearing improvised explosive devises – the number one killer on the battlefield-- for his following comrades on ground military missions. As a Buffalo arm operator, Davis noticed that most IED’s were buried and the Buffalo were inefficient in retrieving them.
Sgt. Davis used his engineering and operating background to design and build a new piece of equipment called the "claw" to dig out buried IED’s. The "claw" attached to the Buffalo arm allowed the soldiers to pick up objects and IED’s just like a hand would. The claw was more efficient, weighed less, moved faster, could pick up heavier objects and allowed the combat engineers to spend less time on target in the kill zone, saving the lives of the Buffalo operators as well as soldiers on follow-on ground missions.
Davis modestly shares credit with his entire unit saying, "Every one of the soldiers in my unit including the command was extremely supportive while I was building the claw and gave me all the tools and resources I needed. A fellow soldier named Sgt. Morgan helped me assemble the claw."
Sgt. Davis’ invention was recommended to a four-star general of supply. Davis created a manual on how to build the claw so other route clearance teams could construct them and assist the manufacture of the Buffalo to possibly integrate the "claw" into its design. Sgt. Davis used brains and brawn inventing the "claw" and should be honored for the impact he made on the safety of soldiers in Iraq.

Wounded Warrior & Hero: Eric Browy

Eric Browy

Eric’s first tour of duty in Iraq lasted from March 2003 to March 2004. Eric’s unit was part of an operation that took the town of Taj and held it during this period. The unit did many missions and patrols, provided security for rocket systems, and set up and manned operations posts (OPs). Engaging in any number of firefights with insurgents and foreign fighters, Eric’s unit sustained nine killed in action, as well as four wounded. Three Bradleys assigned to his unit hit improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
During his second tour of duty in Iraq, which began in December 2005, Eric served as a scout in the southern part of Baghdad, doing patrols, OPs, and other scouting tasks. In March 2006, Eric was setting up observation posts. He was walking atop a wall 25 feet above the ground, carrying 80 pounds of gear while, at the same time, keeping track of a suspicious guy on the ground through his night vision goggles. He missed a step, falling from the wall and severely damaging both feet.
A helicopter took him to an Army hospital in Baghdad. From there he was flown to the Army’s Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, where he stabilized for a week. He then went to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where his right leg was amputated below the knee. Because his left foot was so severely damaged, amputation of great toe and ball of that foot was also required.
Eric had ten surgeries in all.
Eric received medical retirement from the Army on December 28, 2006.
Recuperation: “Walter Reed’s rehabilitation system rocks,” Eric said enthusiastically. "I was walking without limping within two months. It was painful. It was work. But the system is great.”
Involvement with Wounded Warrior Project: “WWP was awesome because, when I got back I didn’t even have underwear. So when WWP came by with a backpack, it contained something I definitely needed, and a whole lot more. And when I was in a wheelchair, I used that backpack as a wheelchair backpack.”
“WWP makes sure everything’s okay.”
Employment Narrative: Eric plans to do volunteer work until he begins college in the fall. He will study engineering.
Feelings about Military Service: “Loved it.”
Feelings about Helping Other Vets thru WWP: “Now that I’m further along in recovery, the WWP rep tells me about other veterans who need help, and I go talk to them: what happened to me and how I recovered. There are a lot of people like me, who are facing recovery, and they need to talk to somebody who’s been down that road. I know I would not have had as much confidence as I made my own decision about amputation if I hadn’t talked to other amputees. So I know how important it is now for me to talk with others who are facing that decision.”

Dude! Where's My Recession? Part #264

Wall Street rises on stronger economic data

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks edged higher on Wednesday after data showed unexpected expansion in the sprawling U.S. services sector and a surprise increase in job growth

Massive Turnout For Cindy Sheehan Bid For Congress

Hero: Captain Daniel Burkhart

More than a quarter century of war and discontent has left Afghanistan’s once well-established villages and cities derelict, dilapidated and in need of brave humanitarians. Army Captain Daniel Burkhart, on his second tour supporting the war on terror, went above and beyond his role in the Combined Security Transition Command and gave his free time to the Voluntary Community Relations Project (VCR) with an open heart and helping hand.

Burkhart always believed it was a privilege to serve as a conduit through which the goodwill and generosity of the American people was able to flow to Afghanistan, improving the lives of these war-ravaged citizens. Started by an Army Chaplain, the VCR project distributes clothes and other goods to displaced refugees in and around Kabul – all donated by the American people.

Burkhart considered the time away from his loving wife and infant to be daunting. Seeing the face of his young daughter in that of every needy Afghani youngster, he knew he could not ignore them. As a part of VCR, he has helped facilitate the delivery and distribution of thousands of items to this war-torn country. These tokens of support by the American public are one of the many ways Burkhart and his fellow soldiers help the Afghan people resist the pressures of the poppy industry, or worse, acquiesce to the Taliban’s insurgency.

When asked about his experience in Afghanistan, he does not tell tales of the fanatical Taliban fighters or the despicable acts of al Qaeda terrorists, but instead the hospitality and work ethic of the local populous. He reflects on the many cups of chai he has shared with refugees and villagers alike, and the many games of soccer he has played with energetic children.

While Burkhart will always remember the brown sand and desolate landscapes of Afghanistan, it is the appreciative children and the hundreds, perhaps thousands of lives he has touched with the VCR project that will always have the most prominent place in his memory.

For his year-long service in Afghanistan, Burkhart received the Bronze Star, the NATO Medal, the Afghan Campaign Medal and the Outstanding Service Medal.

Hero: Chris Ayers

Chris Ayers

A native of Houston, Texas, Chris Ayers joined the Marines in 1995 to find positive direction in his life in a structured environment. Chris loved the work and flourished in the service, becoming a machine gunner. He briefly left the service after the birth of his first child, but re-enlisted in 1999.

In March of 2003, Chris' unit, First Battalion, Fifth Marines, deployed to the Al Anbar Province in Iraq. Two weeks after Chris arrived in Iraq, four Blackwater military contractors were killed in Fallujah, launching Operation Resolve, also known as the First Battle of Fallujah.

During the battle, Chris led a group of Marines to clear an area where supply vehicles had been attacked. Before they could reach the area, they were ambushed. Chris and his fellow Marines ran a gauntlet of fire from rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and small-arms fire. One of the RPGs killed the group's gunner. Another ripped through Chris, blowing off all of the soft tissue on the back of his leg. After the blast, Chris passed in and out of consciousness. He prayed to make it home to see his wife and daughter one more time.

Chris' companions pulled him to a nearby house, where a corpsman applied a tourniquet and radioed for help. The house was surrounded by enemies, and it took nearly an hour and a half for a rescue party to fight their way in. Chris was air lifted out, and he woke up in Landstuhl, Germany before being transferred to Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) in Texas, where he stayed for two and a half months.

Luckily, the blast didn't break Chris' femur or sever the femoral artery, and he was able to keep his leg. The injury did damage Chris' sciatic nerve, leaving him with numbness in his leg and a perpetual feeling that his leg is asleep. It was nearly two months before Chris was able to get out of bed, and he had to learn to walk without his hamstring muscle. It took more than six months before Chris was able to walk on his own.

Chris considers himself lucky not only to have his leg, but also to return to his family. He is deeply thankful for the skill of his fellow Marines, whom he credits for saving his life. "For them to do the things they did during that difficult situation was totally phenomenal," Chris explains.
Chris recently joined team WWP to head up the Project's post-traumatic stress initiatives. He first heard about WWP when he received a signature WWP backpack at BAMC. Since his injury, he's been amazed by the increase in programs available to the wounded, and has stepped forward to do what he can to help. "I've met some incredible individuals who want to help veterans and some amazing veterans themselves." Chris' wife Renee has been involved too, talking with spouses of wounded warriors and connecting them with resources and support.

Chris sums it up with, "I'm passionate about what I'm doing, and I just think it's the right thing to do. I really like the Wounded Warrior Project because they're active with veterans and keep them involved. They think outside the box. It's just a phenomenal organization."

Dude! Where's My Recession? Factory Orders Up!

WASHINGTON — Orders for manufactured goods posted a surprisingly strong increase in April as demand rose across a number of industries.
The Commerce Department reported today that orders were up 1.1 percent in April following a 1.5 percent increase in March. Orders had fallen in January and March as a spreading slowdown in the overall economy depressed activity in manufacturing.
The April increase came as a surprise. Analysts had been forecasting a small decline.

Star Parker: America's Generosity is Unmatched

Americans are hearing so much these days about how bad we are that we're starting to believe it.

In a recent Gallup poll, 68 percent said they are "dissatisfied with the position of the United States in the world today," and 55 percent said they think that the rest of the world views us unfavorably.

However, as I page through a publication called the Index of Global Philanthropy, which is produced annually by the Center for Global Prosperity at the Hudson Institute in Washington, it becomes obvious that these American feelings of self-deprecation are misguided.

This is the just released third annual edition of this index. It produces a unique snapshot portraying the full extent of American generosity to developing countries, by amount and by source.

Usually when the question of aid to the developing world arises, we think of government funds. But this index shows that, whereas it may be the rule in the rest of the industrialized world that most aid is government aid, in our country this isn't the case. Most of the contributions that Americans make abroad are private and voluntary. And they are large.

In 2006, the latest year for which data is available, the index reports that Americans contributed privately and voluntarily $34.8 billion to individuals and organizations in developing countries.

Philanthropy is distinct from government aid in that it originates with private citizens and is voluntary, but also the recipients are private individuals and organizations, as opposed to governments. Private to private versus government to government.

The $34.8 billion in philanthropy from private Americans exceeded the $23.5 billion in official U.S. government aid abroad by $11.3 billion, or 48 percent.

This private philanthropy is flowing from foundations, corporations, private and voluntary organizations, universities and colleges, and religious organizations.

Of particular interest in this year's index is the $8.8 billion reported from religious organizations. According to Carol Adelman, who directs this work, the data was produced by commissioning "the first national survey of congregational giving to the developing world" ever done.

The average contribution of congregations was $10,700.

To put this in some kind of perspective, the $8.8 billion in giving from American religious institutions to developing countries was $1.5 billion more than the total giving from all private sources in 30 of the world's major industrialized democratic countries combined.

When consolidating all assistance funds flowing from the United States to developing countries, the total is $129.8 billion. This is the total of government aid, philanthropy, and remittances -- funds sent directly by private individuals to other private parties in developing countries, often family members. A far second in total giving behind the United States is the United Kingdom at $20.7 billion.

There are a couple of important messages here.

First, of course, is the incredible compassion and generosity of Americans. American largesse does not need to be pried or forced by the government. It flows organically from free, civic minded and often religiously motivated citizens. And it comes from citizens of every income strata. The religious giving data shows that whereas the average congregation gives $10,700, the median number is $2,500, indicating that there are many smaller, less wealthy congregations engaged.

The other headline is the central importance of the private sector in both generating prosperity, but also in sharing it.

Bookshelves now strain with studies showing the failures of government-to-government aid.
It is individuals who create wealth. Compassion and personal responsibility reside in the breasts of those same individuals. Neither can be said of government bureaucracies.

Barack Obama spoke at the commencement ceremony at Wesleyan University the other day. He talked about national service and, recalling John F. Kennedy, committed to doubling the size of the Peace Corps if elected president.

From what I see and what the data shows, Americans don't need government to make them care, contribute, and volunteer. If anything, they need less government so they'll retain and keep control of more of what they produce and subsequently share with those in need.

Other countries may have their own motivations for what causes them to view Americans the way they do. But the data is clear. Americans are unmatched in creating prosperity and sharing it.

It's time to pay closer attention to what Americans do rather than what others say.