Saturday, November 22, 2008
Hero: 1st Sergeant Paul Archie
A year ago, many people fretted that Iraq’s Anbar province was lost. Yet since then progress has come at an almost unthinkable pace, the results of principled and dangerous work by Marines working with locals. As the top enlisted Marine in his company, 1st Sgt. Archie provided consistent leadership in battle from August 2006 through February 2007, a key period of the turnaround in Anbar.In October of last year, insurgents launched a brazen attack on his company’s base: mortars, rockets, AK-47’s, and a suicide bomber driving a truck. Archie coordinated the defense of the base by setting up fortifications on six rooftops and sending out Humvees to block roads from incoming insurgents. Under constant and heavy fire, he moved throughout the battlefield, making sure his Marines had everything they needed. He also successfully oversaw the evacuation of two wounded Marines from the fight. Archie is largely credited for the defense of the base during the intense hour-long fight.
That was not 1st Sgt. Archie’s only encounter with insurgents: His company saw combat all over Anbar during the seven-month deployment. In all, Archie undertook more than 200 combat missions and guided his company through more than 100 engagements with the enemy. Archie estimated that in many areas, there was a 50 percent chance his unit would face an Improvised Explosive Device attack.
For his leadership, dedication, and courage, 1st Sgt. Archie received the Bronze Star with the Combat Distinguishing Device at Camp Lejeune on July 30, 2007.
GEITHNER LIKELY TO BE TREASURY SECRETARY
Barring last minute changes, the nominee for Treasury Secretary will be NY Fed President Tim Geithner -- a career Treasury official under both Bob Rubin and Larry Summers -- who actually had worked at the Treasury in three administrations under five Secretaries -- going back to 1988.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Light at the End of the Recession
...my conversations with economists who have been worth listening to in the past I detect some skepticism about the consensus that we are in deep trouble, headed for still more, and that we are in a tunnel in which no light is discernible. They sense unreasoned panic among consumers, related more to media fixation on share prices than to an appraisal of their own economic circumstances. The overwhelming majority are paying their mortgages on time, and quietly but importantly benefiting from the collapse in oil and petrol prices. They are adjusting by prowling the aisles of Wal-Mart rather than up-market retailers. It might be less fun to share a pizza while watching a rented DVD than dining in style before a night at the cinema, but that sort of hardship is tolerable if unpleasant. That is not to say that there is no real suffering out there. There is, especially among the unemployed. But this isn't the 1930s, or even the early 1980s.
great article
Christine M. Flowers: And then there were four. . .
I heard the voice of the Lord saying, whom shall I send and who will go for us? Then said I, here am I, send me.
- Isaiah 6:8
- Isaiah 6:8
TIMOTHY Simpson heard a call in the night and answered without hesitation.
He was no different from all the others who put on a uniform in the morning, walk out the door and place their lives at the service of strangers. Simpson, 46, married, father of three, was killed while rushing to a robbery in progress, trying to protect people he didn't know and, tragically, would never meet.
He was the fourth this year.
Obama AG Pick Eric Holder on firearms policy:
Earlier this year, Eric Holder--along with Janet Reno and several other former officials from the Clinton Department of Justice--co-signed an amicus brief in District of Columbia v. Heller. The brief was filed in support of DC's ban on all handguns, and ban on the use of any firearm for self-defense in the home. The brief argued that the Second Amendment is a "collective" right, not an individual one, and asserted that belief in the collective right had been the consistent policy of the U.S. Department of Justice since the FDR administration. A brief filed by some other former DOJ officials (including several Attorneys General, and Stuart Gerson, who was Acting Attorney General until Janet Reno was confirmed)took issue with the Reno-Holder brief's characterization of DOJ's viewpoint.But at the least, the Reno-Holder brief accurately expressed the position of the Department of Justice when Janet Reno was Attorney General and Eric Holder was Deputy Attorney General. At the oral argument before the Fifth Circuit in United States v. Emerson, the Assistant U.S. Attorney told the panel that the Second Amendment was no barrier to gun confiscation, not even of the confiscation of guns from on-duty National Guardsmen.As Deputy Attorney General, Holder was a strong supporter of restrictive gun control. He advocated federal licensing of handgun owners, a three day waiting period on handgun sales, rationing handgun sales to no more than one per month, banning possession of handguns and so-called "assault weapons" (cosmetically incorrect guns) by anyone under age of 21, a gun show restriction bill that would have given the federal government the power to shut down all gun shows, national gun registration, and mandatory prison sentences for trivial offenses (e.g., giving your son an heirloom handgun for Christmas, if he were two weeks shy of his 21st birthday). He also promoted the factoid that "Every day that goes by, about 12, 13 more children in this country die from gun violence"--a statistic is true only if one counts 18-year-old gangsters who shoot each other as "children."(Sources: Holder testimony before House Judiciary Committee, Subcommitee on Crime, May 27,1999; Holder Weekly Briefing, May 20, 2000. One of the bills that Holder endorsed is detailed in my 1999 Issue Paper "Unfair and Unconstitutional.") After 9/11, he penned a Washington Post op-ed, "Keeping Guns Away From Terrorists" arguing that a new law should give "the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms a record of every firearm sale." He also stated that prospective gun buyers should be checked against the secret "watch lists" compiled by various government entities. (In an Issue Paper on the watch list proposal, I quote a FBI spokesman stating that there is no cause to deny gun ownership to someone simply because she is on the FBI list.)After the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the D.C. handgun ban and self-defense ban were unconstitutional in 2007, Holder complained that the decision "opens the door to more people having more access to guns and putting guns on the streets."Holder played a key role in the gunpoint, night-time kidnapping of Elian Gonzalez. The pretext for the paramilitary invasion of the six-year-old's home was that someone in his family might have been licensed to carry a handgun under Florida law. Although a Pulitzer Prize-winning photo showed a federal agent dressed like a soldier and pointing a machine gun at the man who was holding the terrified child, Holder claimed that Gonzalez "was not taken at the point of a gun" and that the federal agents whom Holder had sent to capture Gonzalez had acted "very sensitively." If Mr. Holder believes that breaking down a door with a battering ram, pointing guns at children (not just Elian), and yelling "Get down, get down, we'll shoot" is example of acting "very sensitively," his judgment about the responsible use of firearms is not as acute as would be desirable for a cabinet officer who would be in charge of thousands and thousands of armed federal agents, many of them paramilitary agents with machine guns.
Wounded Warrior Project: Ride For Pride Tucson
Date: Saturday, November 22, 2008 At 08:00:00 AM
Get on your bike or be on location to cheer on the riders participating in the Ride for Pride! This "Poker Run" will start and conclude at Tucson Harley Davidson
Home Front Heroes: Blue Star Riders
We chose the name "Blue Star Riders" to express our support for those brave men and women who are serving today in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Blue Star is a symbol that represents those who serve in the Armed Forces and are defending our country.
While we have unwavering respect and support for our troops serving in harm’s way, we have chosen to ride primarily for our wounded heroes. They really have no one to exclusively honor them, to express to them America's gratitude for their sacrifice to our great country. We honor not only those heroes wounded in today's war but those injured in all wars.
What We Do
We support all our troops and veterans. We visit hospitals, outreach centers, attend funerals for fallen heroes, and spread the word of the Fallen and Wounded Warrior Torch. We bring awareness of our fallen and wounded warriors by attending veterans events like Cripple Creek, Rolling Thunder and special memorial services for families.
Mission Statement
To honor those who have been wounded during a time of war. To support the Armed Forces of the United States of America, their families, and its veteran warriors.
To assist and participate in ceremonies which honor ALL our fallen and wounded warriors, including our nation veteran warriors.
To uphold the American principles of freedom, justice and equal rights for ALL.
Hero: Major Jason Amerine
The Story:
In mid-November 2001, then-Capt. Amerine’s small Special Forces team joined up with Afghan freedom fighters to root out the Taliban and to help stabilize the country. Amerine’s team also helped train, secure, and organize friendly Afghan forces. The treacherous Afghanistan terrain had proven to be a formidable defense against foreign fighters, but with the help of the Afghan freedom fighters, Amerine and his team were able to conduct several successful missions.
On November 16th, Amerine’s team, along with approximately 200 Afghan fighters led by now-president Hamid Karzai, entered the town of Tarin Kot, the place where the Taliban first began their rise to power. Coalition forces had taken the town early in the struggle, but reports indicated that the Taliban were going to try and reestablish control there.
Early the next morning, Taliban vehicles moved steadily toward Tarin Kot, but Amerine and his team were ready for the assault. He and his team, along with the freedom fighters, spread out along a mountaintop, watching the road below where the enemy vehicles would approach at any moment. After a few air strikes from the plateau above, the freedom fighters moved back into Tarin Kot. Without the full force available, the Taliban vehicles were able to regroup and keep moving, forcing Amerine and his soldiers to also fall back to the town.
With the help of the Afghan freedom fighters, they engaged in several hours of close combat with the enemies. In the end, Amerine’s team forced the Taliban to flee from Tarin Kot.
On Dec. 5, an errant bomb landed close to the team, killing three U.S. soldiers and wounding several others, including Amerine. On Jan. 15, 2002, Amerine was awarded the Bronze Star with Valor and the Purple Heart. Because of his heroic actions and courage under fire, Amerine was chosen as one of the faces included in the U.S. Army’s “America’s Army” video game.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Wounded Warrior Project: Track
TRACK offers wounded warriors an integrated approach to address long-term needs for education and training, advocacy, and secondary rehabilitative care for the mind, body and spirit. This unique program offers participants a range of college preparatory classes and services customized to their needs, helping them build career skills, train in veterans' advocacy, and continue recovery toward a more independent life.Home Front Heroes: A Million Thanks
A Million Thanks is a year-round campaign to show our U.S. Military Men and Women, past and present, our appreciation for their sacrifices, dedication, and service to our country through our letters, emails, cards, prayers, and thoughts. IF YOU ARE LOOKING TO SEND A THANK YOU NOTE OR LETTER TO OUR TROOPS, WE CAN HELP YOU. IF YOU WANT A SOLDIER PEN PAL, GO TO http://www.anysoldier.com/ THERE YOU CAN GET ADDRESSES OF SOLDIERS WHO WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU
Donate HERE!
Hero: Specialist Jose Alvarez
Part of the Soldier’s Creed is never to leave behind a fallen comrade. On the night of March 13, 2006, then-Sgt. Wilzcek, Sgt. Row, then-Pfc. Alvarez, then-Pfc. Pushkin, and the rest of their squad risked life and limb to live up to that promise.
Row, the point man, was leading the soldiers through dark, narrow alleys in the city of Ramadi as the squad headed back to base. Suddenly two men darted into a nearby house – and at that hour, Row saw that as a clear sign of imminent danger. He stopped the team, but within seconds the street exploded with an onslaught of machine-gun and small-arms fire, RPG explosions, and hand grenades. The squad dropped to the ground and directed fire at the enemy’s position.
Alvarez moved to a covered position to reload his weapon, and he noticed one of his comrades had been hit and was lying in the middle of the firefight. Without hesitation, Alvarez rushed into the kill zone to check the soldier’s vital signs – but it was too late. He covered the soldier’s body with his own and continued firing on the enemy. When he ran out of ammunition, Alvarez stood up and started dragging the soldier out of the line of fire. Row, who was pinned down nearby, provided cover fire as Alvarez struggled to move the body. When Wilzcek and Pushkin saw Alvarez’s difficulties, they ran into the open to help. But as the three moved back toward cover, two RPGs exploded 10 meters away, knocking them down and sending a volley of shrapnel into Alvarez’s right knee. The men stood up and continued dragging their comrade to the safety of a nearby courtyard.
After establishing a safe area for the injured, Pushkin and Wilzcek ran back and forth several times from the courtyard into the line of fire to rescue trapped soldiers. Meanwhile, the RPG explosions had also injured Row’s elbow with shrapnel. Even so, he continued firing on the enemy position to help the others reach safety. Once everyone was clear, Row, who was alone in the middle of the street, called for help. As Row remembered later, “I was trapped in the street, and [Pushkin and Wilzcek] pulled me out of there.”
The squad was now in the courtyard and medical assistance was being administered – but their work was not done: enemy fire continued to light up the area. When the squad started planning the next phase, Alvarez refused to be moved with the other injured soldiers, staying to help in the fight.
The insurgents, seeing the evacuation in progress, focused their fire on the rescuers. Wilzcek, already on the roof, began firing back. After clearing the rooms below, Pushkin and his team hurried up to the roof to help Wilzcek. Row grabbed a Bunker Defeat Munition – a shoulder-launched explosive for use against fortified positions – but his injured elbow prevented him from using it. He ran up to the roof, handed the weapon to Pushkin, and helped guide Pushkin toward the targets. With Row and Wilzcek providing cover fire, Pushkin took aim and fired – destroying the enemy’s position and killing a number of insurgents. With that, the squad was able to leave the area safely.
On Feb. 15, 2007, Wilzcek, Alvarez, and Pushkin were awarded the Silver Star for their bravery and actions; Row was awarded the Bronze Star for Valor.
Row, the point man, was leading the soldiers through dark, narrow alleys in the city of Ramadi as the squad headed back to base. Suddenly two men darted into a nearby house – and at that hour, Row saw that as a clear sign of imminent danger. He stopped the team, but within seconds the street exploded with an onslaught of machine-gun and small-arms fire, RPG explosions, and hand grenades. The squad dropped to the ground and directed fire at the enemy’s position.
Alvarez moved to a covered position to reload his weapon, and he noticed one of his comrades had been hit and was lying in the middle of the firefight. Without hesitation, Alvarez rushed into the kill zone to check the soldier’s vital signs – but it was too late. He covered the soldier’s body with his own and continued firing on the enemy. When he ran out of ammunition, Alvarez stood up and started dragging the soldier out of the line of fire. Row, who was pinned down nearby, provided cover fire as Alvarez struggled to move the body. When Wilzcek and Pushkin saw Alvarez’s difficulties, they ran into the open to help. But as the three moved back toward cover, two RPGs exploded 10 meters away, knocking them down and sending a volley of shrapnel into Alvarez’s right knee. The men stood up and continued dragging their comrade to the safety of a nearby courtyard.
After establishing a safe area for the injured, Pushkin and Wilzcek ran back and forth several times from the courtyard into the line of fire to rescue trapped soldiers. Meanwhile, the RPG explosions had also injured Row’s elbow with shrapnel. Even so, he continued firing on the enemy position to help the others reach safety. Once everyone was clear, Row, who was alone in the middle of the street, called for help. As Row remembered later, “I was trapped in the street, and [Pushkin and Wilzcek] pulled me out of there.”
The squad was now in the courtyard and medical assistance was being administered – but their work was not done: enemy fire continued to light up the area. When the squad started planning the next phase, Alvarez refused to be moved with the other injured soldiers, staying to help in the fight.
The insurgents, seeing the evacuation in progress, focused their fire on the rescuers. Wilzcek, already on the roof, began firing back. After clearing the rooms below, Pushkin and his team hurried up to the roof to help Wilzcek. Row grabbed a Bunker Defeat Munition – a shoulder-launched explosive for use against fortified positions – but his injured elbow prevented him from using it. He ran up to the roof, handed the weapon to Pushkin, and helped guide Pushkin toward the targets. With Row and Wilzcek providing cover fire, Pushkin took aim and fired – destroying the enemy’s position and killing a number of insurgents. With that, the squad was able to leave the area safely.
On Feb. 15, 2007, Wilzcek, Alvarez, and Pushkin were awarded the Silver Star for their bravery and actions; Row was awarded the Bronze Star for Valor.
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