Back to My Observations and Hope for a Fiery Discussion.

I have been reading all of the articles about "Muslim outrage" over cartoons picturing Muhammad and wondering what this is really all about. I was really curious to see for my self how outrageous these cartoons were. I was thinking they would be blasphemous and terrible to cause such a violent reaction.
After a little research, I found the cartoons and explanations of why they were drawn and what each cartoonist was saying.

So here it is:

the drawings

On September 30, 2005, the daily newspaper Jyllands-Posten ("The Jutland Post") published an article titled "Muhammeds ansigt"[4] ("The face of Muhammad"). The article consisted of 12 satirical caricatures (of which only some depicted Muhammad) and an explanatory text, in which Flemming Rose, Jyllands-Posten's culture editor, commented:

The modern, secular society is rejected by some Muslims. They demand a special
position, insisting on special consideration of their own religious feelings. It
is incompatible with contemporary democracy and freedom of speech, where you
must be ready to put up with insults, mockery and ridicule. It is certainly not
always equally attractive and nice to look at, and it does not mean that
religious feelings should be made fun of at any price, but that is less
important in this context. [...] we are on our way to a slippery slope where
no-one can tell how the self-censorship will end. That is why Morgenavisen
Jyllands-Posten has invited members of the Danish editorial cartoonists union to
draw Muhammad as they see him. [...] After an invitation from
Jyllands-Posten to around forty different artists to give their interpretation
on how Muhammad may have looked, twelve different caricaturists chose to respond
with a drawing each. Some of these twelve drawings portray Muhammad in different fashions; many also comment on the surrounding self-censorship debate.

In the clockwise direction of their position in the page layout:

1. The face of Muhammad as a part of the Islamic star and crescent symbol. His right eye the star, the crescent surrounds his beard and face.
2. Muhammad with a bomb in his turban, with a lit fuse and the Islamic creed written on the bomb. This drawing is considered the most controversial of the twelve.
3. Muhammad standing in a gentle pose with a halo in the shape of a crescent moon. The middle part of the crescent is obscured, revealing only the edges.
4. An abstract drawing of crescent moons and Stars of David, and a poem on oppression of women "Profet! Med kuk og knald i låget som holder kvinder under åget!". In English the poem could be read as: "Prophet you crazy bloke! Keeping women under yoke"
5. Muhammad as a simple wanderer, in the desert, at sunset. There is a donkey in the background.
6. A nervous caricaturist, shakingly drawing Muhammad while looking over his shoulder.
7. Two angry Muslims charge forward with sabres and bombs, while Muhammad addresses them with: "Rolig, venner, når alt kommer til alt er det jo bare en tegning lavet af en vantro sønderjyde" (loosely, "Relax guys, it's just a drawing made by some infidel South Jutlander". The reference is to a common Danish expression for a person from the middle of nowhere.)
8. An Arab-looking boy in front of a blackboard, pointing to the Farsi chalkings, which translate into "The editorial team of Jyllands-Posten is a bunch of reactionary provocateurs". The boy is labelled "Mohammed, Valby school, 7.A", implying that this Muhammed is a second-generation immigrant to Denmark rather than the founder of Islam. On his shirt is written "Fremtiden" (the future).
9. Another drawing shows an angry Muhammad with a short sabre and a black bar censoring his eyes. He is flanked by two women in niqaabs, having only their wide open eyes visible.
10. Muhammad standing on a cloud, greeting dead suicide bombers with "Stop Stop vi er løbet tør for Jomfruer!" ("Stop, stop, we have run out of virgins!"), an allusion to the promised reward to martyrs.
11. Another shows journalist Kåre Bluitgen, wearing a turban with the proverbial orange dropping into it, with the inscription "Publicity stunt". In his hand is a child's stick drawing of Muhammad, referring to Bluitgens upcoming illustrated children's book on the life of The Prophet. The proverb "an orange in the turban" is a Danish expression meaning "a stroke of luck", here the added publicity for the book.
12. And in the centre:
    A police line-up of seven people, with the witness saying: "Hm... jeg kan ikke lige genkende ham" ("Hm... I can't really recognise him"). Not all people in the line-up are immediately identifiable. They are: (1) A generic Hippie, (2) politician Pia Kjærsgaard, (3) possibly Jesus, (4) possibly Buddha, (5) possibly Muhammad, (6) a generic Indian Guru, and (7) journalist Kåre Bluitgen, carrying a sign saying: "Kåres PR, ring og få et tilbud" ("Kåre's public relations, call and get an offer")

The picture is not great but it gives you an idea of just what caused the problem. One page in a Danish right-wing newspaper. The entire country has just over 5 million residents and I cant imagine that too many of read this newspaper.

A paper that has far less readers than the NY Times or the Washington Post has caused quite an uproar. Now that we are all informed. What do you think?

Is there reaction understandable? Justified? Over-the top? Or dare I say expected from our peace loving Muslim neighbors?

I have an opinion but I do not want to influence yours any further than I have.

COMMENTS PLEASE!

Flying at just over a thousand feet altitude, a military C-130 jet propeller aircraft approaches the Fryar Drop zone. The Jumpmaster yells the first of many commands to be echoed and executed be all personnel on the aircraft following each command.

10 MINUTES.

GET READY.

OUTBOARD PERSONELL STAND UP!

INBOARD PERSONELL STAND UP!

HOOK- UP.

CHECK STATIC LINES.

CHECK EQUIPMENT.

SOUND OFF FOR EQUIPMENT CHECK .


The aircraft approaches the DZ for the final pass and the jumpmaster leans out the door to check the location.

1 MINUTE

30 SECONDS

STAND BY

GO!

After that I jumped from the door of a perfectly good airplane that was moving at about 125 miles per hour, in to prop wash that feels like a wall of air. I float away from the airplane counting one thousand, two thousand. Before I can continue in my count there is a jerk and my canopy is open, as I descend to the earth at 18-22 ft per second. I check my canopy to make sure there are no problems and then I keep an eye out for fellow jumpers to avoid collisions. Less than a minute later as I pull on my risers to slow my descent, my feet touch the ground and I roll to my side keeping my feet and knees together.

What a rush!!

The view was great as I floated down. Honestly, I was nervous on the plane until the routine started. From there it was all rehearsed movements. All I had to do was react. The nerves settled as soon the commands began and next thing I know I am floating to the ground. I never thought about stopping, just jumped both feet into the wind and let gravity do the rest.

Man that was great! I completed 5 jumps successfully after two weeks of training.







A is for Airborne
I is for in the sky
R is for rough and tough
B is for born to fly
O is for on the go
R is ranger
N is for never quit
E is for every day
'Cause I'm Airborne
All the way
Super-duper Paratrooper

1 More Milestone Passed.

I recently completed IOBC. The course was 16 weeks of training to be an Infantry Officer. The course was designed to resemble the pattern of training we should use in leading our troops and modeled to train each individual on how to correctly perform infantry tasks and tactics all while providing opportunities to improve your leadership skills. The focus is on making you a competent Platoon Leader with the necessary skills to train and lead your platoon. (At least, the base skills to train and continue to learn more as you lead and train.)
Overall it was a good course. We had some excellent trainers. The curriculum was a week of classroom tactics followed by a week of tactical field practice. We would learn the theory and then go apply it in the field. I had a good time and learned more fieldcraft.
The end of the course we are awarded an Infantry Blue Cord to wear as we join the ranks of Infantrymen. It is a very symbolic and significant addition to your uniform that only 13% of the Army wears.

Here are the actual narrator's words from the ceremony when we were awarded the cord.

Infantry Blue Cord
Eighteenth Century European armies used cords and aguilettes to distinguish service branches and officers from enlisted. Many Continental Army units adopted this custom. After the American Revolution, cords fell into disuse until the Mexican War. During this war some Mexican military leaders threatened to hang any captured U.S. Officers. Many gallant men defiantly wore short ropes on their shoulders as they pressed home the attack in mocking tribute to their enemy's empty threat. Cords and aguilettes soon officially reappeared to denote various positions and awards and have remained with our Army until this day
General Washington selected the color blue to distinguish his tough and resolute infantry in the Continental Army from other types of soldiers. General LaFayette chose a light blue color to outfit his American Infantry Corps. For the next 120 years, the official Infantry color alternated between blue and white until 1904 when the Army officially adopted what we now know as "Infantry Blue."
In 1951, the Army leadership sought to encourage and recognize foot soldiers who were bravely fighting intense battles in Korea. They soon adopted the Infantry Blue Cord. This cord would only be worn by fully qualified Infantrymen and would announce for all to see that these men would be on the front line when our nation was at war.

The Final Field Exercise

Here is a recent picture from my training. This is my platoon. 41 infantry officers. All freezing our butts off early in the morning. It was about 7 am and around 30 degrees. we had been awake for a couple of hours but people were still moving slow.

We just fininshed our final field exercise for IOBC. It was a 10 day field problem, Platoon live fire exercise and a culminating attack on an Urban village. The culminating attack was supposed to be an Air Assault but we got rained out, so we ruck marched 14 miles for 6 hours(in the rain at a temp of 42 degrees) to the village and began the assault at 6 am. We attacked, seized 5 buildings and set up a perimeter defense to control the buildings and run patrols from for the next 2 days.

The pictures on Shalene's website are from the last day of patrols and operations in the town.

Oh My, an Update!

Its been a long time coming.
We haven't had internet and I have neglected my Blog.
So, just a short update since I last posted about 4 months ago.

I graduated from OCS and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the Infantry on June 30. A week later, I participated in a pilot program of BOLC II (Basic Officer Leadership Course) as the Army's "guinea pig" for 7 weeks. Then mid August I began IOBC (Infantry Officer Basic Course), the course I am currently still attending. It 16 weeks long training of tactics and leadership skills focused solely on Infantry Platoon leadership needed to be successful. The course is 10 weeks field exercises of tactics and application and 6 weeks of theory and classroom tactics study. It is generally a week in the field and then a week in classrooms. I really enjoy the variety in the schedule and I am home every weekend.

My timeline following this (for all who are interested) is:
IOBC graduation Dec 14
Ranger School in January
Airborne maybe March
Report to Ft. Drum, NY somewhere between May and June

Of course this timeline is all dependent upon my ability to pass one of the most difficult courses the Army has to offer. Ranger school. In the Infantry it is very important for officers to be Ranger qualified. Sometimes the emphasis on Ranger school makes it seem like the most important thing for a young officer.

Ranger school is 8 weeks of hell. A very physical course that is designed to mentally and physically stress and emotionally drain the strongest of soldiers. Weeks of being sleep deprived and running a calorie hungry body through very physical days on only 2 MREs per day is the standard platform to initiate most of the stress. Being hungry and tired seems to work for everyone. The course is divided into 3 phases: Darby phase at Ft. Benning, very physical portion of the course were the instructors focus all spare time on energy burning exercises in between legitimate training; Mountain phase in Dahlonega, GA, with hours of patrolling in mountainous terrain and very tiring night operations; Florida phase at Eglin Airforce Base, focusing on river operations an jungle type patrolling.

Much of my current training is preparing me to do my job as a Platoon leader, but most of my physical training is to get me ready for Ranger school. Good luck there, I am chasing a bunch of 22 yr old athletes everytime we go running.

Well, that is my world in the military right now. My civilian life on the weekends you usually hear about from Shalene. Each week, I look forward to the weekend to spend time with my wonderful wife and great daughter.

Some of the links are videos if you are interested.

Two Weeks of Playing GI Joe!

I just returned from a two week field leadership exercise and realized many of you do not know what I am doing. Let's start off by saying its no Boy Scout camping trip.

The 2 weeks were focused on leading in offensive and defensive tactical training environments. The company runs exactly the way an infantry line unit operates but is lead by students from all different branches not just combat arms.

The first week is focused on defense and establishing a patrol base for the company to conduct manuevers from a secure location. We built a patrol base to operate from and maintain security for 130 people. The base was shaped as a triangle with 'foxhole' fighting positions dug for a secure position to take cover and protect the base. Each foxhole had to be arm pit deep and large enough for 2 men. The holes were about 5 feet deep, 6 feet across and 2 feet wide. The holes were camoflaged and postioned to provide the best view to fire each weapon. There were a total of 18 machine guns, 9 grenade launchers and 95 M16 rifles positioned to protect our base. Once we were all dug in and set up, we were attacked by the 'enemy' at least once a day. Sometimes the attacks came just after dark in a dangerous period called 'stand down' when the visibility is poor, other times we were attacked in the middle of the night or in the wee hours of the morning, sometimes even the middle of the day at the hottest times. Your job as a leader during those times is to maintain order, control and security amidst the chaos that usually ensues.
I was our Platoon Sergeant for about 4 days. During that 4 days we were attacked mulitple times, including the largest attack on our base as we were attacked on all 3 sides of our perimeter. My job was to 'troop' the lines and recieve reports and evaluate first hand for the Platoon Leader our situation and status. It is a difficult and tiring job, running the perimeter and relaying radio messages during an attack.

The second phase of our field exercise was focused on offense. Tactics such as raids, ambushes and patrolling (or movement to contact). These were conducted in the vicinity of our patrol base and at Mock Urban environment built up to resemble a city.

The training in the urban terrain is by far the most fun and high speed training. The 3 principles of MOUT (military operations in urban terrain) inherently lead to that. Speed, strength and agility are the principles of MOUT tactics that influence all movements. The training focuses on clearing and securing buildings and movement through urban terrain. I think I enjoy this training the most because I understand that it most relates to the tasks our soldiers have to accomplish currently in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The other training we conducted was also fun. Being on the offensive is always more fun. The ambushes at night were charged with energy. We also conducted a 10 mile and 12 mile roadmarch to move our entire company to a designated point.

The roadmarches are in formation that spreads the company out to prevent damage by enemy attack. It is a tactical way to mave a large group. it is not very sneaky but people are positioned to provide security and minimize casualities in the event of an attack.

The 12 mile roadmarch was particularly difficult becauseI was assigned to the weapons squad. The 'weapons squad' carries three M240B Machine Guns. Each gun is manned by a team of 3. The gunner, assitant gunner and ammo bearer. I am sure you can deduct what each person does. The key for the road march is what each person carries. The gunner carries the machine gun, which weighs about 26 lbs. The assistant gunner carries the tripod and attachments, which weigh about 24 lbs. The ammo bearer well he carries ammo, and the spare barrel for the gun, each case of 100 rounds weighs 7 lbs. I was the assistant gunner. The rucksack I carried and the additional equipment as assistant gunner made my total load between 60-70 lbs with water.
12 miles with over 60 lbs was tiring.

At the end of the march we had to attack an enemy patrol base. The weapons squads were responsible for establishing a base of fire, which means we position our guns and fire a whole lot of rounds. We fired about 600 rounds in less than 5 minutes. It was a blast.

Well, there is a little explanation for you. Pictures to come later for the meantime. try to imagine or search for similar pictures on the internet.

April 23rd Letter

I found out this week that we will (most likely) have a pass for mid cycle. The company commander (CO) told me that "individuals who are doing the right thing" will have thier pass. I fall into that category. :) I had a personal conversation with the CO because I was student company commander in the field. I was the "top dog" in the chain of command. I relieved another candidate who was fired after only a day. I really had a good time and learned a lot from personal briefings with different TAC's. It added additional duties but I think I managed my time well. I also got a lot of compliments from prior service people in class. They were impressed at how well I was doing for such little experience. Then, after a couple days I got fired becaus I failed daytime land nav. The CO said I failed to lead by example because I didn't pass. I tried hard and ran a lot of the course, encouraged people along the way. I think I set a good example; I just forgot to write down one of the points and I ran out of time to go back and get it, so I failed by missing only one point. You needed a 5/9 and I got a 4/9 eithout the point. It's okay, I retested the next day and found 7/9. So I passed. I learned the most from those two days.
Well, everything is going well here. I love the field, no matter what we are doing. So, last week was a good week for me. I was disapointed to have not passed Day the first time, but I did pass night the first try (and it is much harder).
We have classes this week and then 4 tests on Friday. The following Monday we will go back to the field for more training.

-Dale

Posted by Shalene

April 16th Letter

We are getting ready to leave for the field an I have some free time. Well, it's not really free. I could be studying, but I need a break. So, I am folding some laundry and taking a few minutes to write you.
Well, I am learning a lot here in class. There is just a lot of crap to deal with that really wears down on me. I will try and write a few more positive things, so that I don't sound totally miserable. I am really not doing badly. I yeah, good news. I don't have any tours to walk, so IF we get a pass for midcycle I am free to go.
I am learning a lot in our classes and doing well with the knowlege. We have had classes on tactics, operations, training management, military justice and staff organization. We have had tree exams already. I scored 96,96,88. Pretty good, I would say. I am learning and trying to study more to stay ahead of the game. Also, I am trying to be in the top 3rd of the class, in order to graduate with honors.

-Dale

(posted by Shalene)

April 15th Letter

It's been a rough week. We are being punished because a few people accessed unauthorized websites. The cadre, I think, decided to make things really suck. All of our priveleges have been revoked and passes until senior phase. No phone calls, no internet, no PX and no passes.
I don't know if we will earn some priveleges back, but I hope so. Right now, I am running low on motivation. I am using determination to get through class. I think you should plan right now for there to be no pass at mid-cycle picnic. We will only get a few hours together on Friday. If we don't get our passes back, I would recommend not coming. So you may wnat to find out how close to the date you can cancel your reservation. We may get the pass for the weekend back, but I think we may not find out until last minute. It really sucks.
We leave for the field Sunday through Thursday to take our land navigation course. I look forward to being in the field. It helps me forget about all the crap that goes on around here. I like being outdorrs, makes me happy. We won't get any mail, so I wouldn't worry too much about writing back quickly.
Well, that's enough complaining. No matter how much it sucks, I am sticking it out. I am not letting anything stop me from making my comission.
It broke my heart to hear that Rebekah was crying for me at night. I really want to be there for her; not let her down. But, I have chosen a path that won't let me always be there. I will have to work on a way to maintain a good bond. I have worried lately about how this is affecting you two. I hope you are well. I miss you guys and would love to see you.
I will try to get new copies of my orders to send you. Someone told me I would need to get my OCS orders ammended in order to have you move before I have my orders for after OCS. I can't contact my branch rep right now because all of our priveleges are revoked. So, I may have you contact him and find out who I need to talk to and if we should just wait for my orders for BOLC 2. (He said that we should get those orders around mid-cycle) I hope that makes sense. My OCS orders currently read that I can't move you, but according to the branch rep I can. So, I need some info on how to do it.
Miss you guys. Give my little girl a kiss.

-Dale

(Posted by Shalene)

April 10th Letter

I was disappointed wiht our short phone call the other day. But I guess a short call is better than no phone call. Hopefully, we will maintain our phone priveleges. The last week has been pretty rough. We had classes but very little other training. I started to get stressed about the level of park points I had. I think my final count was about 27 points, (and half those points were given as punishment for people around me.) I understand the point of accountability they are trying to teach but I am upset that my point total already has me walking tours (Marching) on our first weekend off. Hopefully, I can avoid getting more tours. Well, the actual class and procedures aren't difficult but our TAC's really focus on minute details and punish you for failing to comply. you really have to be vigilant to stay ahead of the game.
My moral is better now, but last week was really sucking. I think the lack of training, combined with all the park points was making me stressed. We are back into training, so hopefully I will be better. Wemissed three days of training becauseof an OCS Hall of Fame Induction ceremony. The hall inducted 35 people that were high level officers who wereOCS graduates. I didn't like the details we hadto do in order to prepare for the ceremony but having all the officers around was inspiring. It was realneat to see generals that were OCS grads.
Yesterday, we did another roadmarch for fivemiles then we went to a leadership reaction course. There were obstacles andproblems that you had toleadagroupof ten to overcome. It was a lot of fun and I did well. The obstacles wereall over water. Apparently, we weren't getting wet enough on the course; the TAC's madeus all jump in the water and swim fromobstacleto obstacle. So by the end, we were completely soaked. It was a blast. Being in the field, training andconquering obstacles is very motivating for me. I really enjoyed it andit pumped me up for this week.
-Dale

Other than all that he says he is tight on timebutwill try to write at least once a week and that he misses his girls! :)

Posted by Shalene

April 3rd Letter

I am taking some time at church yo write you a letter because this is the first "free time" we have. Class is going well so far but I can already see that it will get annoying. The TAC officers and NCO's are great teachers but also strict enforcers of our policies.
So far on all of the physical events I have done a stellar job. We had our combat water survival test. It was difficult but a lot of fun. 15 meter swim in full gear keeping your weapon out of the water, 3 meter blindfolded drop in full gear and finally a jump into the deep end, fully submerge and drop your gear to resurface.
We also did a 5 Mile roadmarch with rucksacks, and an obstacle course. I did very well on both. I love the physical events and obstacles. I will have to show you the course we did. It was a difficult course.
It seems like the physical side of OCS will be easy. The difficult part will be time management and dealing with sleeping about 5 hrs a night and the rest of the day is extremely busy. OCS is the land of multitasking. Often we are having to sacrifice personal time to accomplish more important tasks. We are having to skip showers every now and then, and do our laundry in halves (wash, then dry it later). We stay so busy we are usually running to our formation just to be on time.
Although it is very busy, I am enjoying it. The worst part remains the DFAC (cafeteria). The procedures are annoying and we have 3-5 minutes to eat. It is just not a pleasant environment to eat in. We are overwhelmed with procedures and policy. We are told how to stand in line, how to enter the DFAC, how to hold your tray, how to take food, how to leave the table and how to put away your tray. It is just rediculous how precise you have to be.
The real negative side to these procedures is the penalty for failure to comply. The punishment is park points. The points are tallied on a weekly basis. If you exceed 20 points in a week, you are gien a tour. A tour is one hour of marching the company area. The real bad part is, the tours must be served before you can have free time. That means if I get a tour or more, I will have to serve them out after the company picnic before I can have a pass for the weekend. Right now I am mentally preparing to have to walk at least one tour. I try hard, but the rules are many and strict. So far I have earned a few points for small things. In the DFAC, and our platoon was all given points for the condition of our rooms.
It seems the point of OCS is to make everyday situations stressful and then monitor people's reactions and leadership. I still think I will do fine but this will not be a pleasant time. I guess it's not meant to be.
Well, I had a meeting with the infantry branch rep and learned more about my upcoming training and career. The good news I heard is that because I am branched infantry in OCS, my orders are PCS with permission to move at any point. I still think we should wait until senior phase, but we are PCS and can move whenever.
They really treat the infantry well here.

-Dale

Posted by Shalene

Letter From March 28th

Everything is going wlee so far. They are easing us into the class by introducing us to the procedures. We have a whole binder of policy and procedures. It really seems like the procedures will be the bad part of the course. We finished our first PT test this morning. I did real well (83 situps, 45 push-ups & 2 miles in 14:20). I think I will do fine in the class, but it really seems like it will suck. The course is more of an initiation than a class.
So I think your letters and pictures will be rela important.
Our class is large - about 140 people and most of them have military experience. I will probably learn the most from my class mates.
We have a real busy schedule and they are super strict on lights out, so I might not be able to write often. But I will find time to keep you updated.

-Dale

Posted by Shalene

A Couple of Poems for You.

IT IS THE SOLDIER

“It is the soldier, not the reporter,Who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the soldier, not the poet,Who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the soldier, not the campus organizer,Who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.

It is the soldier,Who salutes the flag,Who serves beneath the flag,

And whose coffin is draped by the flag,Who allows the protester to burn the flag.”

Father Dennis O'Brien, USMC Ret.

A SOLDIER’S POEM

As I prepare myself for a journey to a country so very far away,I think of my wife, children and family, and all the things I would like to do and say.

One of the hardest things that a husband and father could ever do,Is to leave behind the ones that are so very close to you.

How can I ease the loss that they must feel within their very heart?How can I help them to understand the reasons we are apart?

I know they will miss me when I am away from their side,So I pray that their sadness will be replaced with great love and pride.

I am an American soldier, a protector of freedom and of all that is right,It is my duty and my honor when this country calls me to fight.

I must honor my promise to my family to protect them from all that is bad,That is my duty, not only as a soldier, but also as a husband and a dad.

I will fight with my brothers and sisters with fierce American pride,We will restore this country’s faith, and honor those who have died.

Do not think I am not afraid of the terror I am about to face,Or the thought of not returning home from such a horrific place.

Soon this war will be over and returning home you will see,Your husband, your dad and your son for all eternity.

So when people ask you where I am or what it is that I do,Look them in the eye and proudly say,“He is an American soldier fighting for freedom; he is fighting for you.”

GOD BLESS MY FAMILY AND THIS COUNTRY
©Copyright April 16, 2004 by Anthony D. Ewing

Read all about it.

In a recent Army Times, Blogs of War was published. Naturally, it peaked my interest and I read on to find out how the Army is handling the webblog world and ease of accessability for the troops. Apparently, many of these blogs are being read by field-grade officers (the high up strategy and policy makers) and the commanding generals are actually encouraging many to read them. The idea is that you will read candid statements of moral of the troops in the stuff.

I decided to jump and read the words of a few battle buddies. Like all blogs some posts are interesting, some are not. Some blogs focus on sharing opinion and others enjoy narrating their life stories. I enjoy reading both.

Here are a few I enjoyed:

Armor Geddon

Tank platoon leader posts of patrol and convoy activities. Leans more toward military activities of Armor platoons. ** Warning posts are realisitic and can contain some vulgar language**

Major K

An Infantry Major shares his diary of thoughts and opinion. Most of the posts are commenting on current events.

American Soldier

A SF sniper posts opinion and experiences "from family life to war." Fairly candid sharing of experiences as this soldier trains for another deployment. An interesting read, just because I will be in training for at least the next year, probably more.


I think it is great to have the freedom to read and write experiences from those on the frontlines. Of course, as with any opinion, you must take it with a grain of salt.
We all live in an altered reality, as seen through our own rose colored glasses or in this case green colored googles. These blogs are just good reads of people's experiences and their opinion on what is happening.

Military News to Enlighten You to the Truth.

I figured it was time I posted some links from the depths of the internet that help show what the military is doing in OEF and OIF.

For all who do not wish to read articles and editorials written about the subject, I am posting links to Photoessays.

The following links are all taken from the DefendAmerica Website for the months of Jan and Feb 2005. (Apparently, these are the stories that only the military is willing to tell) Take some time flip through the photoessays and see what you think. Also, feel free to follow links on these sites to other photoessays.

The dangerous Sadr City
http://www.defendamerica.mil/photoessays/jan2005/p012705a1.html

Fallujah and its infamous insurgents
http://www.defendamerica.mil/photoessays/jan2005/p011005a1a.html

A Hospital full of Iraqis
http://www.defendamerica.mil/photoessays/jan2005/p010404a1.html

A Large Military Operation
http://www.defendamerica.mil/photoessays/feb2005/p021705a1.html

The Future of Iraq
http://www.defendamerica.mil/photoessays/feb2005/p021005b1.html


In no way am I trying to say that our military operations are not dangerous and the news media is portraying it incorrectly. I am only sharing a few pictures of what also goes on everyday in these countries. The media focuses only on the violence and what they perceive as failures of the US Military. The progress and improvement that is being made shows that our Military can have an iron fist and a soft touch. I am proud to be part of an organization that can provide humanitarian aid to people that have lived in less than humane conditions for far too long.

There is still months of dangerous security that must be provided in order to allow this humanitarian aid to take place, but as long as there are strong men and women in the Armed Forces the help continue to be provided. Many of the photoessays on the above websites show you what happens on an average day for members of our US Military. Take sometime and look at the photos. Some of pictures show humanitarian aid, some show security patrols and checkpoints, and some will military operations that sustain our activities. These photoessays shed more light on what our military is doing than 5 hrs of watching CNN or FoxNews.

I hope everyone enjoys. I know I do.

Your Tax Dollars at Work!

I really can't believe I get paid to do this. I am currently in a holdover company here at OCS until my class starts March 26. Our daily schedule consists of an 1.5 hrs of exercise in the morning, followed by sitting around our barracks waiting for detail work orders to be given. Somedays there is a lot of work to be done, other days there is little. So, most of the day is spent trying to find simple entertainment that is authorized. We can use the internet, play "bored" games or read. Unauthorized activities include: sleeping, watching TV during duty hours or leaving the barracks without permission.
I spend most of my time in mindless conversations that on occasion may turn into a somewhat intelligent debate. Other times, I just read magazines, the internet or books and remove myself mentally from this dungeon of boredom.

Well, it looks like I have about 4 weeks left of this. I will try to enjoy the time while I can without getting soft. (Honestly, I have found this place to be boring and I like being busy with training) The PT (exercise for you civilians) is the highlight of my day. It is difficult but it will get me in better shape and help me prepare for the training I have in my near future. We run a minimum of 3 miles a day. Most days we run 4-5 miles then follow it with muscle focused strength exercises. I like the training and think I may begin to supplement with additional PT at night.

For all of those who do not know I have been branched Infantry. My next year will be spent in some of the most physical and difficult training the Army has to offer. After OCS, I will attend Infantry Officer Basic, then Ranger School followed by Airborne School. That should constitute about a year of training with some breaks in between. At the end of my training, I will most likely take a position as an Infantry Platoon Leader (probably one of the most demanding jobs in the world.)

I have lots of time on my hands, so any questions about my future are welcome via email or the blog. As for the next 4 weeks, I will be here searching for timewasting activities.

Any letters or packages are welcome. Please send to:

OC Wyrick
HHC 3/11 Inf Regt (OCS)
7480 Riordon St. Bldg 2510
Ft Benning, GA 31905

January 31

Well, today was a fun day so I wanted to tell you about it whiel the day is fresh on my mind.
We had the PT test early in the morning. I did well on the test. I scored a 255 out of 300. Passing score for OCS is a 180. My totals were 55 push-ups, 77 sit-ups & 2 miles in 14:53. I still don't think it was my best, but it was pretty good.
Afterwords, we started our normal day. Classroom lectures on battle maneuvers and calling in fire support. After tat we had a class about IED and unexploded ordnance (bombs)...
The final thing we did was the most realistic battle simulation we have had. Night fire infiltration course. We had to traverse 110 meters of obstacles like logs, water and barbed wire while keeping a low silhouette to stay protected from enemy fire. the course required us to crawl the length while the drills and range cadre (?) fired live rounds from 4 machine guns over our heads. It was amazing. The bullets were cracking directly over head ( not whizzing like in the movies). It was loud and fast. I honestly felt like I was a soldier in WWII attacking enemy bunker positions. It was actually a little scary waiting to go but once the lights were shut off and we were told to move out, the adrenaline took over. I was completely caught up in my objective, without fear I crawled for the bunkers. They fired off flares that lit the sky like mid day. When that happened, we had to lie perfectly still and wait for the flares to burn out in order to avoid giving away our position. The first time I stopped lying in a puddle underneath barbed wire, the next time I was directly in front of the bunker position. I still laid still but realistically I would have had to run or charge the bunker.
It was a real neat experience. I also think it is encouraging to know that I can perform well in a stressful situation that the drill simulated. I actually found myself checking around for my battly buddies nearby to see how they were doing. I really enjoyed it. I finished the course soaked from head to toe and covered in mud and sand, but I did not mind one bit.
I love being a soldier. It actually seems to come natural. I am always looking to help out other guys in the field and I seem to accomplish the tasks easily.
Of course it is real physical and I wish I were in better shape. As for the mental stressos, I think they improve my performance....
It is hard being away but I love the actual training.

-Dale

posted by Shalene

January 30th

Well, everything is going well here. We did not have our PT test yet because of freezing rain the other morning. It is scheduled for tomorrow... I am real excited that we only have 18 days left. Our actual trainning will be done in 10 days. We leave for our final field training exercise on Friday. We will be gone for 6 days and our 9 mile ruckmarch will be the last day. That is the end of training, after that we have recovery and cleaning/inventory our gear.
I can't wait. I have really enjoyed all of the training but basic is starting to get to me. well, mostly the people here and the way the drills run the show. The guys are just acting plain stupid in the bay and it is annoying.
Only 3 weeks to go. I am looking forward to having everyone her for graduation.
I think with the little amount of time left, you should let people know not to write me after the 10th, in order to make sure I get all of the mail.
We transfer over to OCS on the 19th and any mail sent to basic after will get returned.
I am getting excited for OCS. It will be a lot more physicl field training but with better gear and people with experience. I'm sure I will enjoy it.

-Dale

posted by Shalene

January 28th

Training is going well. We just finished hand grenade qualification. It was awesome fun. We learned all about smoke grenades, fragment grenades & gas. Then we practiced throwing positions from cover and concealed points...
We had a seven part qualification cousre. I scored 7/7 on the course for expert grenadier. It was lots of fun. We threw a lot of grenades with just fuses. They sound like firecrackers but do no damage.
Time is still flying. We had some changes to our training so the last few days went by slowly. A couple of rifle courses fell through so the DS's filled the time by smoking us for hours.
We did just finish a buddy fire course. You dash from one position of cover to another, while you and your buddy fire live rounds at targets in the distance, to cover while the other person runs. I really enjoy the soldiering... I still enjoy the camraderie even though people are getting on my nerves. We have also picked up the level of training intensity for the ruckmarches to prepare for the final march...
See you in 20 days.
-Dale

Posted by Shalene

January 22

We have free time today. Tomorrow we are leaving for another three day campout so we have personal time that we usually get on Sunday. Of course, we have chores to do but we don't have training.
We also have been given a few rewards for doing well in rifle qualification. We got to watch another movie, we could take naps and we are going to play basketball this evening.
It gives us somewhat of a normal life, just wint DS's watching.
Training has been fun lately. Since I talked to you we did another confidence course and hand to hand combat training. The confidence course was great. First, we did an inverted rope slide that was about 30ft long. Then we climbed a platform tower in 4 man teams. Each platform was about 6-8 feet apart. The final big obstacle was called the tough one. Tou climb a 10 ft rope then stand up and walk across beams about 2 ft apart then climb a ladder 20 ft higher, cross over the top and climb down a cargo net. The other obstacles we did were easy - wall climb and that kind of stuff. I don't have a problem with any of the obstacles. I think it is reall fun not scary at all. Some of the guys are real scared of heights so it is a challenge for them.
Then hand to hand combat was real fun. It was focused on self defense grappling - how to maintain a dominant position when you are wrestling. We learned counters and how to move to the best dominant position. We learned four choke holds....
I had a great time. I have never really learned to wrestle so it was all new. The choke holds were real neat...
Our upcoming training should be fun... The training is focused on combat even more than it used to be.....

-Dale

posted by Shalene