6.29.2004
Solar to Keep Army on the Go
From Wired News
During a battle, the ability to move troops swiftly and without detection can mean the difference between victory and defeat. The U.S. Army is developing tents and uniforms made from flexible solar panels to make it more difficult to track soldiers.
Jean Hampel, project engineer in the Fabric Structures Group at the Army's Natick Soldier Systems Center, said the need to reduce the Army's logistics footprint spurred interest in developing lightweight solar panels. 'We want to cut back on the things that soldiers have to bring with them,' including generators and personal battery packs, Hampel said. In modern warfare, portable power for communications technology is every bit as important as firepower and manpower."
{More}
During a battle, the ability to move troops swiftly and without detection can mean the difference between victory and defeat. The U.S. Army is developing tents and uniforms made from flexible solar panels to make it more difficult to track soldiers.
Jean Hampel, project engineer in the Fabric Structures Group at the Army's Natick Soldier Systems Center, said the need to reduce the Army's logistics footprint spurred interest in developing lightweight solar panels. 'We want to cut back on the things that soldiers have to bring with them,' including generators and personal battery packs, Hampel said. In modern warfare, portable power for communications technology is every bit as important as firepower and manpower."
{More}
1941: Germans Advance in USSR
June 29, 1941
One week after launching a massive invasion of the USSR, German divisions make staggering advances on Leningrad, Moscow, and Kiev.
Despite his signing of the Nazi-Soviet Pact of 1939, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin knew that war with Nazi Germany--the USSR's natural ideological enemy--was inevitable. In 1941, he received reports that German forces were massing along the USSR's eastern border. He ordered a partial mobilization, unwisely believing that Nazi leader Adolf Hitler would never open another front until Britain was subdued. Stalin was thus surprised by the invasion that came on June 22, 1941. On that day, 150 German divisions poured across the Soviet Union's 1,800-mile-long eastern frontier in one of the largest and most powerful military operations in history.
{More}
One week after launching a massive invasion of the USSR, German divisions make staggering advances on Leningrad, Moscow, and Kiev.
Despite his signing of the Nazi-Soviet Pact of 1939, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin knew that war with Nazi Germany--the USSR's natural ideological enemy--was inevitable. In 1941, he received reports that German forces were massing along the USSR's eastern border. He ordered a partial mobilization, unwisely believing that Nazi leader Adolf Hitler would never open another front until Britain was subdued. Stalin was thus surprised by the invasion that came on June 22, 1941. On that day, 150 German divisions poured across the Soviet Union's 1,800-mile-long eastern frontier in one of the largest and most powerful military operations in history.
{More}
6.28.2004
From Military.com
Naval Medicine Celebrates Corpsmen's 106th Anniversary
The Navy Hospital Corps' 23,000 active-duty and Reservist hospital corpsmen celebrated their 106th year of service June 17.
In a celebration held at the Department of the Navy's Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED), Force Master Chief Jacqueline L. DiRosa delivered an enthusiastic "Happy birthday, Hospital Corps," which resulted in shouts and applause.
Rear Adm. Dennis Woofter, BUMED chief of staff, and Rear Adm. Brian Brannman, director of the Medical Service Corps, also spoke at the event.
"This has been a great year for the Hospital Corps," said DiRosa. "I can't tell you how extremely proud I am of our men and women who wear this uniform. Thank you is not enough."
{More}
Submarine To Become Arkansas Museum
The USS Razorback, a World War II submarine that is the world's longest-serving sub, is back in U.S. water, starting a voyage up the Mississippi River to become an inland museum in Arkansas.
The Navy decommissioned the 312-foot vessel on Nov. 30, 1970, and handed it over to the Turkish navy, which recently agreed after two-and-a-half years of negotiations to sell it to North Little Rock, Ark., for $1.
"This has never been done before - bringing a submarine back to the U.S.," said John Adams, a retired U.S. Navy officer and the project manager of the operation.
The rusty, barnacled Razorback entered the Mississippi on Saturday, towed by the same oceangoing tugboat that has been with it since its departure from Istanbul on May 5, and docked in New Orleans.
In about two and a half weeks, it is scheduled to get underway again, pushed up the Mississippi and Arkansas rivers by tugboat to North Little Rock, where it will become the centerpiece of a planned maritime museum.
{More}
Pentagon Working on Criteria, Design for New Iraq, Afghanistan Medals
The Pentagon is ironing out criteria and design of two new campaign medals authorized by Congress to honor servicemembers who have deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan.
Before recessing in May, both the House and Senate authorized the two new medals. President Bush signed the legislation into law May 28.
Now it?s up to the Defense Department to design the medals and their ribbons, and establish the eligibility criteria, which could take up to a year, according to Pentagon spokesman Jim Turner.
The new medals are different from the Global War on Terrorism medals that President Bush signed into law in March 2003.
The Navy Hospital Corps' 23,000 active-duty and Reservist hospital corpsmen celebrated their 106th year of service June 17.
In a celebration held at the Department of the Navy's Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED), Force Master Chief Jacqueline L. DiRosa delivered an enthusiastic "Happy birthday, Hospital Corps," which resulted in shouts and applause.
Rear Adm. Dennis Woofter, BUMED chief of staff, and Rear Adm. Brian Brannman, director of the Medical Service Corps, also spoke at the event.
"This has been a great year for the Hospital Corps," said DiRosa. "I can't tell you how extremely proud I am of our men and women who wear this uniform. Thank you is not enough."
{More}
Submarine To Become Arkansas Museum
The USS Razorback, a World War II submarine that is the world's longest-serving sub, is back in U.S. water, starting a voyage up the Mississippi River to become an inland museum in Arkansas.
The Navy decommissioned the 312-foot vessel on Nov. 30, 1970, and handed it over to the Turkish navy, which recently agreed after two-and-a-half years of negotiations to sell it to North Little Rock, Ark., for $1.
"This has never been done before - bringing a submarine back to the U.S.," said John Adams, a retired U.S. Navy officer and the project manager of the operation.
The rusty, barnacled Razorback entered the Mississippi on Saturday, towed by the same oceangoing tugboat that has been with it since its departure from Istanbul on May 5, and docked in New Orleans.
In about two and a half weeks, it is scheduled to get underway again, pushed up the Mississippi and Arkansas rivers by tugboat to North Little Rock, where it will become the centerpiece of a planned maritime museum.
{More}
Pentagon Working on Criteria, Design for New Iraq, Afghanistan Medals
The Pentagon is ironing out criteria and design of two new campaign medals authorized by Congress to honor servicemembers who have deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan.
Before recessing in May, both the House and Senate authorized the two new medals. President Bush signed the legislation into law May 28.
Now it?s up to the Defense Department to design the medals and their ribbons, and establish the eligibility criteria, which could take up to a year, according to Pentagon spokesman Jim Turner.
The new medals are different from the Global War on Terrorism medals that President Bush signed into law in March 2003.
6.22.2004
Last Viet Nam Airman POW Returns to Viet Nam After 31 Years
The last active-duty Airman who was a prisoner of war in Vietnam, and his trip back to the country of his captivity highlights the June 21 edition of Air Force Television News. Tech. Sgt. Bill Scherer went along as Maj. Gen. Ed Mechenbier flew the famed "Hanoi Taxi" to the Vietnamese capital. The aircraft used to bring more than 100 POWs back to freedom. He landed in Hanoi 31 years after his flight from captivity.
{Read more here}
Check out Air Force Televison News
{Read more here}
Check out Air Force Televison News
Senate Backs Ban on Photos of G.I. Coffins
From The New York Times
Sheryl Gay Stolberg
22 Jun 04
The Bush administration's policy of barring news photographs of the flag-covered coffins of service members killed in Iraq won the backing of the Republican-controlled Senate on Monday, when lawmakers defeated a Democratic measure to instruct the Pentagon to allow pictures.
The 54-to-39 vote came after little formal debate, with 7 Democrats joining 47 Republicans to defeat the provision.
There's more here from Bloomberg
7 Democrats voted for dignity in death -- who woulda thunk it?
Sheryl Gay Stolberg
22 Jun 04
The Bush administration's policy of barring news photographs of the flag-covered coffins of service members killed in Iraq won the backing of the Republican-controlled Senate on Monday, when lawmakers defeated a Democratic measure to instruct the Pentagon to allow pictures.
The 54-to-39 vote came after little formal debate, with 7 Democrats joining 47 Republicans to defeat the provision.
There's more here from Bloomberg
7 Democrats voted for dignity in death -- who woulda thunk it?
A Japanese Submarine Shells Fort Stevens At The Mouth Of The Columbia River.
From Today in Military History
On the night of June 21, 1942, the Fort was the target of a Japanese submarine which fired 17 shells in the vicinity of the Fort. The shelling caused no damage and Fort Stevens did not return fire.
Named for General Isaac Stevens, the first governor of Washington Territory, the fort was one of three at the mouth of the Columbia River. Forts Canby and Columbia were on the Washington side.
They were built to protect the mouth of the Columbia River in case the British should join the Civil War on the Confederate side.
In 1897, the fort was included in a program to beef up coastal and harbor defenses nationwide, adding eight concrete gun batteries with mortars and long- and short-range guns. Shortly after World War II, Fort Stevens was deactivated as a military fort. By 1947, all of the guns were removed.
Fort Stevens is now an Oregon state park, with the state's largest campground
On the night of June 21, 1942, the Fort was the target of a Japanese submarine which fired 17 shells in the vicinity of the Fort. The shelling caused no damage and Fort Stevens did not return fire.
Named for General Isaac Stevens, the first governor of Washington Territory, the fort was one of three at the mouth of the Columbia River. Forts Canby and Columbia were on the Washington side.
They were built to protect the mouth of the Columbia River in case the British should join the Civil War on the Confederate side.
In 1897, the fort was included in a program to beef up coastal and harbor defenses nationwide, adding eight concrete gun batteries with mortars and long- and short-range guns. Shortly after World War II, Fort Stevens was deactivated as a military fort. By 1947, all of the guns were removed.
Fort Stevens is now an Oregon state park, with the state's largest campground
6.21.2004
From The Military Academies
USAF Academy Celebrates its 50th Anniversary
On 1 April 2004, 50 years to the day, the United States Air Force Academy begins a celebration of the anniversary of its establishment.
With the creation of an independent Air Force in 1947, Air Force planners abandoned efforts to obtain an air academy within the existing educational framework of the Army. Included within the National Security Act of 1947 was the following provision: ?The United States Air Force will receive a proportion of each graduating class of the Military Academy. These graduates will be transferred to the United States Air Force upon graduation and will remain assigned to the Air Force regardless of their ability to complete flying training ... "
In 1948, the Air Force Academy Planning Board, under the chairmanship of Gen. Muir S. Fairchild, Vice Chief of Staff of the new Air Force met to discuss plans for a proposed Air Force Academy. Throughout 1948 and 1949, a series of Air Force studies were undertaken and numerous bills were introduced in the House and Senate to provide for the establishment of an Air Force Academy. On 6 March 1949, Secretary of Defense James Forrestal established the Stearns-Eisenhower Board to review the existing educational programs of the Armed Forces and to recommend a system of basic education to train junior officers for the three Services. Dr. Robert L. Stearns, President, University of Colorado was named Chairman and Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, Vice Chairman. The Service Academy Board strongly advocated the service academy system not only be retained but be expanded to include an Air Force Academy. At the end of 1949, Lt. Gen. Huber R. Harmon was recalled from retirement and appointed Special Assistant for Air Force Academy matters in anticipation of early legislation creating an academy. The Korean War delayed the debate and it was not until 1954 that Congress finally approved the legislation. On 1 April 1954, President Eisenhower signed the bill which created the United States Air Force Academy. The first class entered in July of 1955.
National Chemistry Olympiad Study Camp at Academy
Twenty high-school chemistry students from across the nation are here [at the USAF Academy] competing in the two-week U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad Study Camp.
The top four students in the competition will represent the United States at the 36th International Chemistry Olympiad in Kiel, Germany, from July 18 to 27.
{Read the rest here}
West Point grad dubbed 'father of Iraqi Army'
Less than a year ago a modest man from Weatherford, Okla., arrived in Iraq to guide an organization that didn?t even exist - to build an army that wasn't there.
There was no plan, no force and only slight guidance.
And 363 days later "despite a host of staggering setbacks and difficulties" Iraq's armed forces and civil security forces total more than 230,000 people. In only a matter of months, the army will consist of a 27-battalion, nine-brigade, three-division army and air force, navy, coastal defense force, civil defense corps, police service, facilities protection service, border police force, customs police force, immigration police force, national security police force and a diplomatic protection service officers force.
"There's nothing that could have prepared me for what I've faced here" but many things have happened to me in my career that have proven helpful," said Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton, the former Office of Security Transition Commanding General.
{Read the rest here}
Amazing Grace
One journey ended as another journey began when the white hats flew skyward Saturday at Michie Stadium and the Class of 2004 took a step toward a bright, but uncertain future.
This [USMA] graduating class knows they have to be ready to help with the war on terrorism in Iraq, Afghanistan or anywhere else they are needed. And one new second lieutenant said she is prepared to go wherever her future leads her.
Four years ago Grace Chung arrived at the U.S. Military Academy from Congers, N.Y. She freely admits she was an unorganized, nervous plebe. However, Chung worked on her faults, eventually becoming West Point?s Cadet First Captain. Her experiences here, good and bad, Chung said, helped strengthen her goals toward a lifetime?s worth of achievements.
{Read the rest here}
Teamwork Propels 14th Company to Colorful Finish
The [USNA's 14th} company doesn't claim to be the smartest or the most physically fit company. In fact, the company doesn't claim to excel in any particular area.
Yet, 14th Company earned the title, Color Company. This company amassed more points through intense competition in sports, academic performance, professional competence and extracurricular activities than any other company.
{Read the rest here}
Sleep Studies Focus on Finding Best Sailors for Navy Missions
Medical experts from the Naval Health Research Center (NHRC) in San Diego attended an annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies in Philadelphia June 6-10, presenting research that may give insight into which types of ?sleepers? make the best military candidates.
NHRC researchers have been working with the University of California in San Diego and the Veterans Affairs Healthcare System in San Diego to analyze certain sleep characteristics ? including average length of sleep and dream recall ? which may indicate how quickly a person feels ?wide awake.?
This consideration of dream recall is a part of a larger study in which the teams reviewed the correlation between how long a person typically sleeps each night and what that person?s response is when deprived of sleep.
{Read the rest here}
On 1 April 2004, 50 years to the day, the United States Air Force Academy begins a celebration of the anniversary of its establishment.
With the creation of an independent Air Force in 1947, Air Force planners abandoned efforts to obtain an air academy within the existing educational framework of the Army. Included within the National Security Act of 1947 was the following provision: ?The United States Air Force will receive a proportion of each graduating class of the Military Academy. These graduates will be transferred to the United States Air Force upon graduation and will remain assigned to the Air Force regardless of their ability to complete flying training ... "
In 1948, the Air Force Academy Planning Board, under the chairmanship of Gen. Muir S. Fairchild, Vice Chief of Staff of the new Air Force met to discuss plans for a proposed Air Force Academy. Throughout 1948 and 1949, a series of Air Force studies were undertaken and numerous bills were introduced in the House and Senate to provide for the establishment of an Air Force Academy. On 6 March 1949, Secretary of Defense James Forrestal established the Stearns-Eisenhower Board to review the existing educational programs of the Armed Forces and to recommend a system of basic education to train junior officers for the three Services. Dr. Robert L. Stearns, President, University of Colorado was named Chairman and Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, Vice Chairman. The Service Academy Board strongly advocated the service academy system not only be retained but be expanded to include an Air Force Academy. At the end of 1949, Lt. Gen. Huber R. Harmon was recalled from retirement and appointed Special Assistant for Air Force Academy matters in anticipation of early legislation creating an academy. The Korean War delayed the debate and it was not until 1954 that Congress finally approved the legislation. On 1 April 1954, President Eisenhower signed the bill which created the United States Air Force Academy. The first class entered in July of 1955.
National Chemistry Olympiad Study Camp at Academy
Twenty high-school chemistry students from across the nation are here [at the USAF Academy] competing in the two-week U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad Study Camp.
The top four students in the competition will represent the United States at the 36th International Chemistry Olympiad in Kiel, Germany, from July 18 to 27.
{Read the rest here}
West Point grad dubbed 'father of Iraqi Army'
Less than a year ago a modest man from Weatherford, Okla., arrived in Iraq to guide an organization that didn?t even exist - to build an army that wasn't there.
There was no plan, no force and only slight guidance.
And 363 days later "despite a host of staggering setbacks and difficulties" Iraq's armed forces and civil security forces total more than 230,000 people. In only a matter of months, the army will consist of a 27-battalion, nine-brigade, three-division army and air force, navy, coastal defense force, civil defense corps, police service, facilities protection service, border police force, customs police force, immigration police force, national security police force and a diplomatic protection service officers force.
"There's nothing that could have prepared me for what I've faced here" but many things have happened to me in my career that have proven helpful," said Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton, the former Office of Security Transition Commanding General.
{Read the rest here}
Amazing Grace
One journey ended as another journey began when the white hats flew skyward Saturday at Michie Stadium and the Class of 2004 took a step toward a bright, but uncertain future.
This [USMA] graduating class knows they have to be ready to help with the war on terrorism in Iraq, Afghanistan or anywhere else they are needed. And one new second lieutenant said she is prepared to go wherever her future leads her.
Four years ago Grace Chung arrived at the U.S. Military Academy from Congers, N.Y. She freely admits she was an unorganized, nervous plebe. However, Chung worked on her faults, eventually becoming West Point?s Cadet First Captain. Her experiences here, good and bad, Chung said, helped strengthen her goals toward a lifetime?s worth of achievements.
{Read the rest here}
Teamwork Propels 14th Company to Colorful Finish
The [USNA's 14th} company doesn't claim to be the smartest or the most physically fit company. In fact, the company doesn't claim to excel in any particular area.
Yet, 14th Company earned the title, Color Company. This company amassed more points through intense competition in sports, academic performance, professional competence and extracurricular activities than any other company.
{Read the rest here}
Sleep Studies Focus on Finding Best Sailors for Navy Missions
Medical experts from the Naval Health Research Center (NHRC) in San Diego attended an annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies in Philadelphia June 6-10, presenting research that may give insight into which types of ?sleepers? make the best military candidates.
NHRC researchers have been working with the University of California in San Diego and the Veterans Affairs Healthcare System in San Diego to analyze certain sleep characteristics ? including average length of sleep and dream recall ? which may indicate how quickly a person feels ?wide awake.?
This consideration of dream recall is a part of a larger study in which the teams reviewed the correlation between how long a person typically sleeps each night and what that person?s response is when deprived of sleep.
{Read the rest here}
6.20.2004
Combat Veteran Named Top Weatherman
Defend America
Tam Cummings
18 Jun 04
Growing up in New Hampshire, Senior Airman Kylee Reynolds didn't give a lot of thought to the weather. If the sun was shining, she could ride her horse and dream of being a jockey winning the Triple Crown. If it was snowing, well, she could still dream about being a jockey. But now the 22-year-old rides her horse for fun, and her dreams are about the weather.
Reynolds, 3rd Weather Squadron, 3rd Air Support Operations Group, said she has found a calling in predicting the weather and advising Army pilots about flying conditions.
"The Army doesn't do its own weather," she said recently. "All weather people that support the Army are in the Air Force. People don't know the Air Force is here (with the Army). And they certainly don't expect to see us out in the field."
* * *
The award recognizes Reynolds as "the outstanding Air Force weatherman." It is named for Staff Sgt. Robert Dodson, who parachuted behind enemy lines and set up an observing site to support Allied troops landing at Normandy on D-Day. The nomination for the award came after Reynolds won Airman of the Year for the 3rd Weather Squadron and Airman of the Year for the 3rd Air Support Operations Group.
{Read the rest here}
Tam Cummings
18 Jun 04
Growing up in New Hampshire, Senior Airman Kylee Reynolds didn't give a lot of thought to the weather. If the sun was shining, she could ride her horse and dream of being a jockey winning the Triple Crown. If it was snowing, well, she could still dream about being a jockey. But now the 22-year-old rides her horse for fun, and her dreams are about the weather.
Reynolds, 3rd Weather Squadron, 3rd Air Support Operations Group, said she has found a calling in predicting the weather and advising Army pilots about flying conditions.
"The Army doesn't do its own weather," she said recently. "All weather people that support the Army are in the Air Force. People don't know the Air Force is here (with the Army). And they certainly don't expect to see us out in the field."
* * *
The award recognizes Reynolds as "the outstanding Air Force weatherman." It is named for Staff Sgt. Robert Dodson, who parachuted behind enemy lines and set up an observing site to support Allied troops landing at Normandy on D-Day. The nomination for the award came after Reynolds won Airman of the Year for the 3rd Weather Squadron and Airman of the Year for the 3rd Air Support Operations Group.
{Read the rest here}
Joint Chiefs Chairman Named "Father of the Year"
American Forces Press Service
Sgt. 1st Class Doug Sample, USA
18 Jun 04
Warrior, Leader ... Daddy?
During a luncheon here June 17, Joint Chiefs Chairman Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers was honored as the 2004 "National Father of the Year" by the National Father's Day Council. His wife, Mary Jo, along with daughters, Nicole and Erin, and son, Richard Jr., were on hand to see Myers receive the award.
The council, a non-profit organization established in 1931, recognizes contemporary male leaders each year.
{Read the rest here}
Sgt. 1st Class Doug Sample, USA
18 Jun 04
Warrior, Leader ... Daddy?
During a luncheon here June 17, Joint Chiefs Chairman Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers was honored as the 2004 "National Father of the Year" by the National Father's Day Council. His wife, Mary Jo, along with daughters, Nicole and Erin, and son, Richard Jr., were on hand to see Myers receive the award.
The council, a non-profit organization established in 1931, recognizes contemporary male leaders each year.
{Read the rest here}
China Arms Sales Would be a Mistake for Britain's Blair, Experts Say
From the Heritage Foundation comes this report:
France wants the European Union to lift its ban on arms sales to China, and British Prime Minister Tony Blair is reportedly close to going along.
But, according to two experts at The Heritage Foundation, one a China specialist, the other a former aide to Lady Margaret Thatcher, such a move would weaken Britain's "special relationship" with the United States. Moreover, it would hurt European (including British) defense manufacturers, who could be cut off from U.S. military technology.
Not to mention the hell it would raise in the Pentagon's Situation Room
France wants the European Union to lift its ban on arms sales to China, and British Prime Minister Tony Blair is reportedly close to going along.
But, according to two experts at The Heritage Foundation, one a China specialist, the other a former aide to Lady Margaret Thatcher, such a move would weaken Britain's "special relationship" with the United States. Moreover, it would hurt European (including British) defense manufacturers, who could be cut off from U.S. military technology.
Not to mention the hell it would raise in the Pentagon's Situation Room
6.19.2004
Bush Draws Cheers at MacDill
From the Air Force Times
Bush draws cheers at MacDill
Associated Press
Vickie Chachere
17 Jun 04
President Bush's Wednesday visit to troops whose daily job is to manage the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan was designed to give the military personnel and their families a morale boost and it didn't hurt the president's reelection campaign, either.
The mutual admiration visit was made at MacDill Air Force Base, home of the Central and Special Operations commands and located in one of the most hotly contested regions nationally for the fall presidential elections.
{Read more here}
Bush draws cheers at MacDill
Associated Press
Vickie Chachere
17 Jun 04
President Bush's Wednesday visit to troops whose daily job is to manage the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan was designed to give the military personnel and their families a morale boost and it didn't hurt the president's reelection campaign, either.
The mutual admiration visit was made at MacDill Air Force Base, home of the Central and Special Operations commands and located in one of the most hotly contested regions nationally for the fall presidential elections.
{Read more here}
U.S. Army Museum Websites
Here you'll find the Links to these Army Museums
If you're in the neighborhood, drop in.
1st Armored Division Old Ironsides Museum
(Baumholder, Germany)
1st Cavalry Division Museum
(Fort Hood, TX)
2d Infantry Division Museum
(Korea)
3d Armored Cavalry Regiment Museum
(Fort Carson, CO)
4th Infantry Division Museum
(Fort Hood, TX)
82nd Airborne Division War Memorial Museum
(Fort Bragg, NC)
Adjutant General Corps Museum
(Fort Jackson, SC)
Air Defense Artillery & Fort Bliss Museum
(Fort Bliss, TX)
Airborne and Special Operations Museum
(Fayetteville, North Carolina)
The Casemate Museum
(Fort Monroe, VA)
U.S. Cavalry Museum
(Fort Riley, KS)
U.S. Army Chaplain Museum
(Fort Jackson, SC)
U.S. Army Chemical Corps Museum
(Fort Leonard Wood, MO)
U.S. Army Engineer Museum
(Fort Leonard Wood, MO)
U.S. Army Field Artillery and Fort Sill Museum
(Fort Sill, OK)
Finance Corps Museum
(Fort Jackson, SC)
Frontier Army Museum
(Fort Leavenworth, KS)
Harbor Defense Museum of New York City
(New York City, NY)
Fort Huachuca Historical Museum
(Fort Huachuca, AZ)
U.S. Army Military Intelligence Historical Holding
(Fort Huachuca, AZ)
Fort Jackson Museum
(Fort Jackson, SC)
JFK Special Warfare Museum
(Fort Bragg, NC)
Fort Lewis Military Museum
(Fort Lewis, WA)
Fort George G. Meade Museum
(Fort George G. Meade, MD)
U.S. Army Medical Department Museum
(Fort Sam Houston, TX)
U.S. Army Military Police Museum
(Fort Leonard Wood, MO)
National Infantry Museum
(Fort Benning, GA)
National Training Center & 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment
(Fort Irwin, CA)
U.S. Army Museum of the Noncommissioned Officers
(Fort Bliss, TX)
The Old Guard Museum
(Fort Myer, VA)
U.S. Army Ordnance Museum
(Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD)
Patton Museum of Cavalry and Armor
(Fort Knox, KY)
Don F. Pratt Memorial Museum
(Fort Campbell, KY)
U.S. Army Quartermaster Museum
(Fort Lee, VA)
Fort Riley Regimental Museum
(Fort Riley, KS)
Rock Island Arsenal Museum
(Rock Island, IL)
Fort Sam Houston Museum
(Fort Sam Houston, TX)
U.S. Army Signal Corps Museum
(Fort Gordon, GA)
U.S. Army Transportation Museum
(Fort Eustis, VA)
Tropic Lightning Museum
(Schofield Barracks, HI)
Watervliet Arsenal Museum
(Watervliet, NY)
West Point Museum
(West Point, NY)
White Sands Missile Range Museum
(White Sands, NM)
U.S. Army Women's Museum
(Fort Lee, VA)
If you're in the neighborhood, drop in.
1st Armored Division Old Ironsides Museum
(Baumholder, Germany)
1st Cavalry Division Museum
(Fort Hood, TX)
2d Infantry Division Museum
(Korea)
3d Armored Cavalry Regiment Museum
(Fort Carson, CO)
4th Infantry Division Museum
(Fort Hood, TX)
82nd Airborne Division War Memorial Museum
(Fort Bragg, NC)
Adjutant General Corps Museum
(Fort Jackson, SC)
Air Defense Artillery & Fort Bliss Museum
(Fort Bliss, TX)
Airborne and Special Operations Museum
(Fayetteville, North Carolina)
The Casemate Museum
(Fort Monroe, VA)
U.S. Cavalry Museum
(Fort Riley, KS)
U.S. Army Chaplain Museum
(Fort Jackson, SC)
U.S. Army Chemical Corps Museum
(Fort Leonard Wood, MO)
U.S. Army Engineer Museum
(Fort Leonard Wood, MO)
U.S. Army Field Artillery and Fort Sill Museum
(Fort Sill, OK)
Finance Corps Museum
(Fort Jackson, SC)
Frontier Army Museum
(Fort Leavenworth, KS)
Harbor Defense Museum of New York City
(New York City, NY)
Fort Huachuca Historical Museum
(Fort Huachuca, AZ)
U.S. Army Military Intelligence Historical Holding
(Fort Huachuca, AZ)
Fort Jackson Museum
(Fort Jackson, SC)
JFK Special Warfare Museum
(Fort Bragg, NC)
Fort Lewis Military Museum
(Fort Lewis, WA)
Fort George G. Meade Museum
(Fort George G. Meade, MD)
U.S. Army Medical Department Museum
(Fort Sam Houston, TX)
U.S. Army Military Police Museum
(Fort Leonard Wood, MO)
National Infantry Museum
(Fort Benning, GA)
National Training Center & 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment
(Fort Irwin, CA)
U.S. Army Museum of the Noncommissioned Officers
(Fort Bliss, TX)
The Old Guard Museum
(Fort Myer, VA)
U.S. Army Ordnance Museum
(Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD)
Patton Museum of Cavalry and Armor
(Fort Knox, KY)
Don F. Pratt Memorial Museum
(Fort Campbell, KY)
U.S. Army Quartermaster Museum
(Fort Lee, VA)
Fort Riley Regimental Museum
(Fort Riley, KS)
Rock Island Arsenal Museum
(Rock Island, IL)
Fort Sam Houston Museum
(Fort Sam Houston, TX)
U.S. Army Signal Corps Museum
(Fort Gordon, GA)
U.S. Army Transportation Museum
(Fort Eustis, VA)
Tropic Lightning Museum
(Schofield Barracks, HI)
Watervliet Arsenal Museum
(Watervliet, NY)
West Point Museum
(West Point, NY)
White Sands Missile Range Museum
(White Sands, NM)
U.S. Army Women's Museum
(Fort Lee, VA)
6.17.2004
Congressional Research Service [CRS] Reports: Military and National Security
The Congressional Research Service (CRS) has released a special "Overview" on Military Courts - Martial [.PDF document = requires Adobe Acrobat Reader {from the Summary}
The recent reports of abuse of prisoners held by the military in Iraq have raised questions about how the armed forces discipline and punish those who commit crimes or violate the rules and regulations of the military. Congress, under the authorities vested in it, enacted a code of military laws, the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). The President, by Executive Order, has, in turn, established standards and procedures for prosecuting violators of the UCMJ and certain other laws. Military criminal courts are known as courts-martial. This report provides an overview of military courts-martial: who can be tried, potential punishments, and the appeals process.
Combined Arms Research Library
The Combined Arms Research Library (CARL) is a comprehensive military science reference and research center located in the south wing of Eisenhower Hall at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. A general collection, composed of fiction and popular nonfiction works, is incorporated into CARL
6.16.2004
New Army BDU Retains Old Shape, Changes Its Colors
Stars and Stripes, European edition
Lisa Burgess
16 Jun 04
The Army rolled out its new battle dress uniform Monday at the Pentagon, revealing an outfit with a familiar silhouette but a significantly different color and pattern.
The new uniform ? the Army?s first major changes to its BDU since 1981 ? is based on a computer-generated, three-color digital camouflage pattern printed on a wash-and-wear, rip-stop cotton-and-polyester blend fabric.
The new BDUs will replace both the desert and woodland versions, Col. John Norwood, project manager for Soldier Equipment at the Army?s Program Executive Office Soldier (PEO Soldier) program at Fort Belvoir, Va., said Monday.
The uniform will be made only in summer weight fabric, which soldiers have said they prefer to the heavy winter-weight fabric that is now an option, said Sgt. 1st Class Jeff Myhre, PEO Soldier?s noncommissioned officer for clothing and individual equipment.
The new BDUs have been wear-tested by 5,000 soldiers from the Army?s Fort Lewis, Wash.-based 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.
{Read more here}
By 2007, everyone in the Army should be wearing the BDU's
Lisa Burgess
16 Jun 04
The Army rolled out its new battle dress uniform Monday at the Pentagon, revealing an outfit with a familiar silhouette but a significantly different color and pattern.
The new uniform ? the Army?s first major changes to its BDU since 1981 ? is based on a computer-generated, three-color digital camouflage pattern printed on a wash-and-wear, rip-stop cotton-and-polyester blend fabric.
The new BDUs will replace both the desert and woodland versions, Col. John Norwood, project manager for Soldier Equipment at the Army?s Program Executive Office Soldier (PEO Soldier) program at Fort Belvoir, Va., said Monday.
The uniform will be made only in summer weight fabric, which soldiers have said they prefer to the heavy winter-weight fabric that is now an option, said Sgt. 1st Class Jeff Myhre, PEO Soldier?s noncommissioned officer for clothing and individual equipment.
The new BDUs have been wear-tested by 5,000 soldiers from the Army?s Fort Lewis, Wash.-based 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.
{Read more here}
By 2007, everyone in the Army should be wearing the BDU's
U.S. Must Confront Terrorism In Africa, General Says
American Forces Press Service
Donna Miles
16 Jun 04
While most Americans focus on the Middle East as the bull's-eye of terrorist activity in the world, Africa continues to fester as a breeding ground for al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations, the deputy commander of U.S. European Command told civilians attending the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference last week.
Air Force Gen. Charles F. Wald said terrorists being driven from Afghanistan and elsewhere in Southwest Asia are finding safe haven to the south. There, operating in vast, open spaces with long, porous borders, these groups are able to recruit and train members and bankroll their operations, he said.
Africa witnessed terrorism against U.S. targets long before Sept. 11, 2001, most notably when al Qaeda operatives launched simultaneous attacks against the U.S. embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, in 1998. Additional attacks in Mombassa in November 2002 demonstrated that terrorist cells were still active.
(Read the rest here)
Donna Miles
16 Jun 04
While most Americans focus on the Middle East as the bull's-eye of terrorist activity in the world, Africa continues to fester as a breeding ground for al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations, the deputy commander of U.S. European Command told civilians attending the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference last week.
Air Force Gen. Charles F. Wald said terrorists being driven from Afghanistan and elsewhere in Southwest Asia are finding safe haven to the south. There, operating in vast, open spaces with long, porous borders, these groups are able to recruit and train members and bankroll their operations, he said.
Africa witnessed terrorism against U.S. targets long before Sept. 11, 2001, most notably when al Qaeda operatives launched simultaneous attacks against the U.S. embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, in 1998. Additional attacks in Mombassa in November 2002 demonstrated that terrorist cells were still active.
(Read the rest here)
Country Singer Helps Celebrate Army Birthday
American Forces Press Service
Linda D. Kozaryn
16 Jun 04
Country music star John Michael Montgomery helped celebrate the Army's 229th birthday by singing four of his hits at the Pentagon today.
Wearing camouflage fatigues, the Grammy-award winning singer blended in with the crowd when he arrived at the Pentagon courtyard concert site -- except for his tall, black cowboy hat, that is. Montgomery took time to shake hands, sign autographs and pose for pictures before going on stage.
Army Brig. Gen. James Kelley, chief of staff, U.S. Army Reserve Command, introduced the singer, noting that Montgomery has had 15 No. 1 country songs during a decade of hits and has sold more than 15 million records.
"His realistic lyrics capture the hardships and the determination and 'muddy boots' of our armed forces and their proud families," the general said. Montgomery's current hit, "Letters from Home," he added, is a tribute the nation's service members.
Montgomery described having a song about the military during a time of war has been a humbling and wonderful experience. He said he's met some "great American heroes in the military across the seas and families back here."
"This song," he said, "just really hit home for me, and as a matter of fact, that's what it's all about."
"Letters from Home" tells the story of a deployed soldier who shares parts of his family's letters from home with his comrades in arms. The final chorus sums up the troops' feelings in the letter the soldier's dad sends, saying, "Son, you make me proud."
{Read the rest here}
Linda D. Kozaryn
16 Jun 04
Country music star John Michael Montgomery helped celebrate the Army's 229th birthday by singing four of his hits at the Pentagon today.
Wearing camouflage fatigues, the Grammy-award winning singer blended in with the crowd when he arrived at the Pentagon courtyard concert site -- except for his tall, black cowboy hat, that is. Montgomery took time to shake hands, sign autographs and pose for pictures before going on stage.
Army Brig. Gen. James Kelley, chief of staff, U.S. Army Reserve Command, introduced the singer, noting that Montgomery has had 15 No. 1 country songs during a decade of hits and has sold more than 15 million records.
"His realistic lyrics capture the hardships and the determination and 'muddy boots' of our armed forces and their proud families," the general said. Montgomery's current hit, "Letters from Home," he added, is a tribute the nation's service members.
Montgomery described having a song about the military during a time of war has been a humbling and wonderful experience. He said he's met some "great American heroes in the military across the seas and families back here."
"This song," he said, "just really hit home for me, and as a matter of fact, that's what it's all about."
"Letters from Home" tells the story of a deployed soldier who shares parts of his family's letters from home with his comrades in arms. The final chorus sums up the troops' feelings in the letter the soldier's dad sends, saying, "Son, you make me proud."
{Read the rest here}
6.14.2004
The Army Men HomePage
On a lighter note, here's the Army Men HomePage
You know them - those toy soldiers molded in soft plastic that are sold by the bagful. They have been around since the 1950s. Known as Army Men, the two- to three-inch soldiers are a staple of many a boy's toy chest. Most folks eventually THINK they outgrew them.
We KNOW we will never, ever outgrow them!!!
I think I still have a few around the house some place
You know them - those toy soldiers molded in soft plastic that are sold by the bagful. They have been around since the 1950s. Known as Army Men, the two- to three-inch soldiers are a staple of many a boy's toy chest. Most folks eventually THINK they outgrew them.
We KNOW we will never, ever outgrow them!!!
I think I still have a few around the house some place
Story of 2 Jumps, 60 Years Apart
Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
5 June 04
SAINTE-MERE-EGLISE, FR The combat controllers, aircrews and paratroopers made the drop of almost 700 paratroopers into the historic drop zone outside this French town look easy today. But don't use that to measure the accomplishment of 60 years ago this day in 1944.
Soldiers jump from an Air Force C-130 near Sainte-Mere-Eglise, France, June 5 during a tribute to airborne soldiers who died in the liberation of France in 1944. Equipment and conditions in the 2004 commemoration jump stand in stark contrast to that of 60 years ago Photo by Jim Garamone
"We can do the same thing day or night," said a combat controller, "But look what we have to work with."
Today's combat controllers have state-of-the art communications equipment and the global-positioning system. The aircraft can hold twice as many paratroopers, in the case of the Air Force C-130s, and four times as many in the case of the Air Force C-17s.
Now, imagine the night of June 5, 1944.
Portions of two U.S. airborne divisions and one British division jumped into Normandy. It was dark, the weather was rotten, and there was an unexpected wind that sent the C-47s (the military version of the DC-3) all over the skies. Some pathfinders jumped in early, but their communications gear was primitive and in many cases wouldn't work. They did have lights that signaled to planes overhead where to drop and they set those up.
Now add to that: Someone is shooting at you.
Read more here
American Forces Press Service
5 June 04
SAINTE-MERE-EGLISE, FR The combat controllers, aircrews and paratroopers made the drop of almost 700 paratroopers into the historic drop zone outside this French town look easy today. But don't use that to measure the accomplishment of 60 years ago this day in 1944.
Soldiers jump from an Air Force C-130 near Sainte-Mere-Eglise, France, June 5 during a tribute to airborne soldiers who died in the liberation of France in 1944. Equipment and conditions in the 2004 commemoration jump stand in stark contrast to that of 60 years ago Photo by Jim Garamone
"We can do the same thing day or night," said a combat controller, "But look what we have to work with."
Today's combat controllers have state-of-the art communications equipment and the global-positioning system. The aircraft can hold twice as many paratroopers, in the case of the Air Force C-130s, and four times as many in the case of the Air Force C-17s.
Now, imagine the night of June 5, 1944.
Portions of two U.S. airborne divisions and one British division jumped into Normandy. It was dark, the weather was rotten, and there was an unexpected wind that sent the C-47s (the military version of the DC-3) all over the skies. Some pathfinders jumped in early, but their communications gear was primitive and in many cases wouldn't work. They did have lights that signaled to planes overhead where to drop and they set those up.
Now add to that: Someone is shooting at you.
Read more here
Coalition Protects Babylon Archaeological Site
John D. Banusiewicz
American Forces Press Service
11 June 04
WASH,DC The coalition in Iraq has taken steps to protect an ancient Babylon archaeological site.
Coalition Provisional Authority administrator Ambassador L. Paul Bremer III and Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo S. Sanchez, commander of Multinational Force Iraq, announced the initiative today in a joint statement.
"Recently, the coalition dispatched a team of archaeologists and Iraqi cultural antiquities experts to the city of Babylon to assess the current condition of the archaeological site located at Camp Alpha, a coalition base originally established to protect and defend the ancient city of Babylon during military operations in 2003," the statement said.
Based on the experts' findings, coalition officials have directed all contractors working in or around the Babylon site to halt any activities that are or may be likely to cause archaeological damage, the statement continued.
Read more here.
Bremer and Sanchez also directed an official investigation into the construction and expansion of Camp Alpha to ensure that the coalition is respecting the surrounding archaeological site and ordered that planning begin for the relocation of all coalition troops in the immediate area of Babylon. The statement also said remediation is being considered for any damage the investigation reveals.
"The coalition is committed to continue working with the citizens of Iraq and the ministry of culture to preserve Iraq's cultural heritage," the joint statement said. "Any future construction, excavation, or expansion of facilities in the vicinity of Babylon will be done in close consultation with the Iraqi State Board of Antiquities. Iraq's treasures are not only of great importance to Iraq, but to the entire international community and civilization as a whole."
American Forces Press Service
11 June 04
WASH,DC The coalition in Iraq has taken steps to protect an ancient Babylon archaeological site.
Coalition Provisional Authority administrator Ambassador L. Paul Bremer III and Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo S. Sanchez, commander of Multinational Force Iraq, announced the initiative today in a joint statement.
"Recently, the coalition dispatched a team of archaeologists and Iraqi cultural antiquities experts to the city of Babylon to assess the current condition of the archaeological site located at Camp Alpha, a coalition base originally established to protect and defend the ancient city of Babylon during military operations in 2003," the statement said.
Based on the experts' findings, coalition officials have directed all contractors working in or around the Babylon site to halt any activities that are or may be likely to cause archaeological damage, the statement continued.
Read more here.
Bremer and Sanchez also directed an official investigation into the construction and expansion of Camp Alpha to ensure that the coalition is respecting the surrounding archaeological site and ordered that planning begin for the relocation of all coalition troops in the immediate area of Babylon. The statement also said remediation is being considered for any damage the investigation reveals.
"The coalition is committed to continue working with the citizens of Iraq and the ministry of culture to preserve Iraq's cultural heritage," the joint statement said. "Any future construction, excavation, or expansion of facilities in the vicinity of Babylon will be done in close consultation with the Iraqi State Board of Antiquities. Iraq's treasures are not only of great importance to Iraq, but to the entire international community and civilization as a whole."
Iraqis Pay Tribute to U.S. Service Members
Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
27 May 2004
ARLINGTON, VA 27 May 04 As the sound of "Taps" echoed from Army Sgt. Major Henry Sgrecci's bugle today, seven Iraqi citizens pressed their new prosthetic hands against their hearts at the Tomb of the Unknowns here to honor U.S. service members who have given their lives in Iraq.
The seven men, all Iraqi merchants, have been in the United States since mid- April to receive their new "bionic" hands to replace the ones amputated by former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein as punishment for trading in U.S. currency. In addition to providing them with new $50,000 prosthetic hands, U.S. doctors in Houston also removed the tattoos Saddam had imprinted on the merchants' foreheads to draw further attention to their misdeeds.
During this week's visit to Washington, D.C., the Iraqis made a pilgrimage today to Arlington National Cemetery, the final resting place for 65 service members killed in Iraq. There, the group laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns to honor U.S. service members killed while overthrowing the brutal regime under which they and millions of other Iraqis had suffered for decades.
Read the rest here
American Forces Press Service
27 May 2004
ARLINGTON, VA 27 May 04 As the sound of "Taps" echoed from Army Sgt. Major Henry Sgrecci's bugle today, seven Iraqi citizens pressed their new prosthetic hands against their hearts at the Tomb of the Unknowns here to honor U.S. service members who have given their lives in Iraq.
The seven men, all Iraqi merchants, have been in the United States since mid- April to receive their new "bionic" hands to replace the ones amputated by former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein as punishment for trading in U.S. currency. In addition to providing them with new $50,000 prosthetic hands, U.S. doctors in Houston also removed the tattoos Saddam had imprinted on the merchants' foreheads to draw further attention to their misdeeds.
During this week's visit to Washington, D.C., the Iraqis made a pilgrimage today to Arlington National Cemetery, the final resting place for 65 service members killed in Iraq. There, the group laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns to honor U.S. service members killed while overthrowing the brutal regime under which they and millions of other Iraqis had suffered for decades.
Read the rest here
Trials To Offer Rare Public Glimpse Of Military Justice
From the Army Times
via the Raleigh News & Observer
Associated Press
11 Jun 04
Fort Bragg will host several high-profile military justice cases in the coming weeks, offering a rare look inside a system overshadowed by the chain of command that regulates military life.
Army reservist Pfc. Lynndie England is scheduled later this month for a weeklong pretrial hearing on charges that she abused prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq last year.
In the fall, Sgt. Hasan Akbar will be court-martialed on charges that he threw grenades into tents of sleeping soldiers and shot them as they emerged in Kuwait last year.
The fairness of military justice will come under scrutiny in those cases and during the prosecutions of terrorist suspects at Guantanamo Bay.
The military has long been aware that the outside world is skeptical of its justice system. Public confidence would benefit from reforms that a review commission has pushed, including reducing commanders' influence in choosing jurors and in making pretrial decisions on witnesses and evidence, said Eugene Fidell of the National Institute of Military Justice.
I can't wait to see it. I had a Summary Court Martial and a Special Court Martial, and I still don't know what happened
via the Raleigh News & Observer
Associated Press
11 Jun 04
Fort Bragg will host several high-profile military justice cases in the coming weeks, offering a rare look inside a system overshadowed by the chain of command that regulates military life.
Army reservist Pfc. Lynndie England is scheduled later this month for a weeklong pretrial hearing on charges that she abused prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq last year.
In the fall, Sgt. Hasan Akbar will be court-martialed on charges that he threw grenades into tents of sleeping soldiers and shot them as they emerged in Kuwait last year.
The fairness of military justice will come under scrutiny in those cases and during the prosecutions of terrorist suspects at Guantanamo Bay.
The military has long been aware that the outside world is skeptical of its justice system. Public confidence would benefit from reforms that a review commission has pushed, including reducing commanders' influence in choosing jurors and in making pretrial decisions on witnesses and evidence, said Eugene Fidell of the National Institute of Military Justice.
I can't wait to see it. I had a Summary Court Martial and a Special Court Martial, and I still don't know what happened
Muslim "Conscientious Objector" Jailed, Discharged
From the Army Times
Gina Cavallaro & Jane McHugh
Times staff writers
10 June 04
A 1st Infantry Division soldier in Germany who refused to deploy to Iraq, citing his Muslim beliefs against fighting fellow Muslims, was sentenced to 14 months confinement and given a bad conduct discharge, according to a published report.
Sgt. 1st Class Abdullah Webster, 38 and with 18 years of Army service, pleaded guilty to two counts of disobeying a lawful order and one count of missing movement June 3 at a court-martial hearing, the military-owned newspaper Stars and Stripes reported June 7. He had applied to be a conscientious objector but was turned down at the unit level. His appeal process is continuing, the newspaper said.
Webster told his commanders he would not deploy based on guidance he received from Muslim clerics, one of whom, Air Force Capt. Hamza Al-Mubarak, testified for the defense that Webster had done the right thing, Stars and Stripes said.
But it was pointed out at the court-martial by Webster's former commander in a Kosovo peace keeping deployment, Lt. Col. Thomas Quigley, that Webster did not qualify as a conscientious objector because he was not opposed to all wars, just wars in Muslim countries, Quigley said ...
The fact that some of his fellow Muslims are wont to blow themselves, and dozens of innocent civilians, to pieces, does kind of weaken the "our religion doesn't do war" argument
Gina Cavallaro & Jane McHugh
Times staff writers
10 June 04
A 1st Infantry Division soldier in Germany who refused to deploy to Iraq, citing his Muslim beliefs against fighting fellow Muslims, was sentenced to 14 months confinement and given a bad conduct discharge, according to a published report.
Sgt. 1st Class Abdullah Webster, 38 and with 18 years of Army service, pleaded guilty to two counts of disobeying a lawful order and one count of missing movement June 3 at a court-martial hearing, the military-owned newspaper Stars and Stripes reported June 7. He had applied to be a conscientious objector but was turned down at the unit level. His appeal process is continuing, the newspaper said.
Webster told his commanders he would not deploy based on guidance he received from Muslim clerics, one of whom, Air Force Capt. Hamza Al-Mubarak, testified for the defense that Webster had done the right thing, Stars and Stripes said.
But it was pointed out at the court-martial by Webster's former commander in a Kosovo peace keeping deployment, Lt. Col. Thomas Quigley, that Webster did not qualify as a conscientious objector because he was not opposed to all wars, just wars in Muslim countries, Quigley said ...
The fact that some of his fellow Muslims are wont to blow themselves, and dozens of innocent civilians, to pieces, does kind of weaken the "our religion doesn't do war" argument
6.09.2004
Reporting America at War
Reporting America at War explores the role of American journalists in the pivotal conflicts of the 20th century and beyond. From San Juan Hill to the beaches of Normandy, from the jungles of Vietnam to the Persian Gulf, the three-hour documentary from acclaimed filmmaker Stephen Ives tells the dramatic and often surprising stories of the reporters who witnessed and wrote the news from the battlefield. Through the lens of their experiences, the film examines the challenges of frontline reporting and illuminates the role of the correspondent in shaping the way wars have been remembered and understood.
Of special interest is their report on Ernie Pyle's The Death of Captain Waskow.
An excerpt
More From Ernie Pyle
Ernie Pyle's Brave Men is a collection of his newspaper columns from 1943 and 1944, in which he details the fighting in Europe primarily from the perspective of the common U.S. G.I. This angle of reporting brought the front-line war back to the families of those serving in the armed forces and endeared Pyle to the troops.
An excerpt:
Now that's what soldierin' is all about.
Ernie Pyle's grave at the "Punchbowl Cemetery"
(National Military Cemetery of the Pacific)
Of special interest is their report on Ernie Pyle's The Death of Captain Waskow.
An excerpt
AT THE FRONT LINES IN ITALY, January 10, 1944 In this war I have known a lot of officers who were loved and respected by the soldiers under them. But never have I crossed the trail of any man as beloved as Capt. Henry T. Waskow of Belton, Texas.Read the whole story, and check out the whole site
Capt. Waskow was a company commander in the Thirty-Sixth Division. He had led his company since long before it left the States. He was very young, only in his middle twenties, but he carried in him a sincerity and gentleness that made people want to be guided by him
More From Ernie Pyle
Ernie Pyle's Brave Men is a collection of his newspaper columns from 1943 and 1944, in which he details the fighting in Europe primarily from the perspective of the common U.S. G.I. This angle of reporting brought the front-line war back to the families of those serving in the armed forces and endeared Pyle to the troops.
An excerpt:
{the eve of D-Day} They joked in the sleepy predawn darkness. One said to the other, "What are you dressed up for, a masquerade?"If they had any personal concern about themselves they didn't show it.
Everybody was overloaded with gear. One officer said, "The Germans will have to come to us. We can never get to them with all this load."
The most-repeated question was, "Is this trip necessary?"
Those men had spent months helping to plan a gigantic invasion. They were relieved to finish the weary routine of paper work at last, and glad to start putting their plans into action. If they had any personal concern about themselves they didn't show it.
Now that's what soldierin' is all about.
Ernie Pyle's grave at the "Punchbowl Cemetery"
(National Military Cemetery of the Pacific)
6.08.2004
Military and Security Bibliographies
I found these bibliographies compiled at AU Library
Most of these bibliographies focus on military or security issues --
Narco-terrorism, peacekeeping, military transformation, privatization and outsourcing in the military, women in combat, etc. -- that may be of interest to a wider audience.
Go check it out - important stuff here!
Most of these bibliographies focus on military or security issues --
Narco-terrorism, peacekeeping, military transformation, privatization and outsourcing in the military, women in combat, etc. -- that may be of interest to a wider audience.
Go check it out - important stuff here!
Ronald Reagan In the Military
From Where's The Rest of Me?
via RonaldReagan.com:
" ... the Army had designated me for "Limited Service" because of my poor eyesight. Three months after Pearl Harbor, I received a letter from the War Department. I was ordered to report in fourteen days to Fort Mason, the port of embarkation in San Francisco.
At the time, General Hap Arnold was moving toward achieving his dream of creating an independent Air Force. He'd established the intelligence unit to make air force training films and documentaries, train camera crews, and accompany our planes on combat missions. I was sent to the unit because of my experience in motion pictures. My first assignment was to recruit technicians and artists from the movie business for the new unit who were ineligible for the draft, and pretty soon, even though I was wearing the bars of a second lieutenant, I was offering majors' insignias to half-million-dollar-a-year movie directors. We also had first call on draftees from the industry. I wound up as adjutant and personnel officer for the unit. Our combat camera crews went to every war zone in the world and our training films were used throughout the army air corps. In a way, we'd become the Signal Corps for Hap Arnold's new air force.
My assignment as the post's adjutant and personnel officer (I ended the war a captain) put me in close contact with the civilian bureaucrats and it didn't take long for me to decide I didn't think much of the inefficiency, empire building, and business - as - usual attitude that existed in wartime under the civil service system. If I suggested that an employee might be expendable, his supervisor would look at me as if I were crazy. He didn't want to reduce the size of his department; his salary was based to a large extent on the number of people he supervised. He wanted to increase it, not decrease it. We had a warehouse filled with cabinets containing old records that had no use or historic value. They were totally obsolete. Well, with a war on, there was a need for the warehouse and the filing cabinets, so a request was sent up through channels requesting permission to destroy the obsolete papers. Back came a reply - permission granted provided copies are made of each paper destroyed.
From various other sources
Reagan joined the Reserves in 1937, while working on radio. Once activated in 1942, he was assigned to the 1st Motion Picture Unit in Culver City, CA Reagan made over 400 training films for the military. He had been commissioned in the Army Reserves as a cavalry officer back when he was a radio broadcaster in Iowa. He remained in the Army Reserves after his move to California to become an actor.
Another account says he "he oversaw the loading of convoys and narrated flight training films for bomber pilots."
He was soon promoted to 2nd lieutenant in the Officers Reserve Corps of the Cavalry.
One of his most popular feature films, "This is the Army," was also made during this period. An unabashed flag waving celebration of American patriotism -- and the music of Irvin Berlin - the film teamed Reagan with the renowned hoofer George Murphy, and a cast of thousands in the show stopping musical revue that closes the film.
He was discharged as an Army captain in 1945.
He may not have gone overseas, and he may not have seen any combat, but he certainly didn't let any grass grow under his feet in the service of his country.
via RonaldReagan.com:
" ... the Army had designated me for "Limited Service" because of my poor eyesight. Three months after Pearl Harbor, I received a letter from the War Department. I was ordered to report in fourteen days to Fort Mason, the port of embarkation in San Francisco.
At the time, General Hap Arnold was moving toward achieving his dream of creating an independent Air Force. He'd established the intelligence unit to make air force training films and documentaries, train camera crews, and accompany our planes on combat missions. I was sent to the unit because of my experience in motion pictures. My first assignment was to recruit technicians and artists from the movie business for the new unit who were ineligible for the draft, and pretty soon, even though I was wearing the bars of a second lieutenant, I was offering majors' insignias to half-million-dollar-a-year movie directors. We also had first call on draftees from the industry. I wound up as adjutant and personnel officer for the unit. Our combat camera crews went to every war zone in the world and our training films were used throughout the army air corps. In a way, we'd become the Signal Corps for Hap Arnold's new air force.
My assignment as the post's adjutant and personnel officer (I ended the war a captain) put me in close contact with the civilian bureaucrats and it didn't take long for me to decide I didn't think much of the inefficiency, empire building, and business - as - usual attitude that existed in wartime under the civil service system. If I suggested that an employee might be expendable, his supervisor would look at me as if I were crazy. He didn't want to reduce the size of his department; his salary was based to a large extent on the number of people he supervised. He wanted to increase it, not decrease it. We had a warehouse filled with cabinets containing old records that had no use or historic value. They were totally obsolete. Well, with a war on, there was a need for the warehouse and the filing cabinets, so a request was sent up through channels requesting permission to destroy the obsolete papers. Back came a reply - permission granted provided copies are made of each paper destroyed.
From various other sources
Reagan joined the Reserves in 1937, while working on radio. Once activated in 1942, he was assigned to the 1st Motion Picture Unit in Culver City, CA Reagan made over 400 training films for the military. He had been commissioned in the Army Reserves as a cavalry officer back when he was a radio broadcaster in Iowa. He remained in the Army Reserves after his move to California to become an actor.
Another account says he "he oversaw the loading of convoys and narrated flight training films for bomber pilots."
He was soon promoted to 2nd lieutenant in the Officers Reserve Corps of the Cavalry.
One of his most popular feature films, "This is the Army," was also made during this period. An unabashed flag waving celebration of American patriotism -- and the music of Irvin Berlin - the film teamed Reagan with the renowned hoofer George Murphy, and a cast of thousands in the show stopping musical revue that closes the film.
He was discharged as an Army captain in 1945.
He may not have gone overseas, and he may not have seen any combat, but he certainly didn't let any grass grow under his feet in the service of his country.
6.07.2004
60 years after D-Day invasion, casualty total still unclear
From the Marine Corps TimesBy John Leicester
Associated Press
The exploits of D-Day have long been legend: the storming of the beaches, parachute drops into enemy territory. But 60 years later, the number of dead is still unclear. The chaos of battle and the vast scale of the assault thwarted attempts then, and now, to tally how many thousands were killed in the June 6, 1944 landings.
Bodies disintegrated under bombs and shells. Soldiers drowned and disappeared. Company clerks who tallied casualties were killed. Records were lost.
Historians say a definitive death toll will likely never be known. Even now, the Normandy soil for which soldiers fought so bitterly offers up new bodies.
In all, some 160,000 men invaded Nazi-occupied France in the first wave, in three airborne and six infantry divisions, tank and commando units. That more troops were not killed is testimony to the planning, training and overwhelming firepower of the Allies.
Visit the National D-Day Memorial Foundation in Bedford, VA, or see here
Associated Press
The exploits of D-Day have long been legend: the storming of the beaches, parachute drops into enemy territory. But 60 years later, the number of dead is still unclear. The chaos of battle and the vast scale of the assault thwarted attempts then, and now, to tally how many thousands were killed in the June 6, 1944 landings.
Bodies disintegrated under bombs and shells. Soldiers drowned and disappeared. Company clerks who tallied casualties were killed. Records were lost.
Historians say a definitive death toll will likely never be known. Even now, the Normandy soil for which soldiers fought so bitterly offers up new bodies.
In all, some 160,000 men invaded Nazi-occupied France in the first wave, in three airborne and six infantry divisions, tank and commando units. That more troops were not killed is testimony to the planning, training and overwhelming firepower of the Allies.
Visit the National D-Day Memorial Foundation in Bedford, VA, or see here
D-Day Plus 1
from the Times of London, June 7, 1944:
... All we await now is the word to go forth and strike the terrific blow in Western Europe, of which General Montgomery writes in his valediction to the assault troops under his command. When this dispatch appears that blow will have been struck; and as one gazes out over an anchorage of fond remembrance in which, framed by the sweep of England?s green shore, countless invasion ships lie at their stations, the mind recoils from the dimensions of it all.
For these tight-packed ships represent only one of the rivers of men and machines that all along the coast are pouring out into the sea. Four years ago, almost to the day, the tide of war had flooded from the east into the French Channel ports before swirling back on Paris and far beyond. Now the tide has turned, and in this suspended moment in history the first mighty wave is gathered before it crashes down on the enemy's beaches. And the near observer gets no more than the fleeting awesome glimpse of it that a solitary swimmer would have of a great breaker in an angry sea.
"The mightiest armada of all time"? such phrases come glibly but say very little. Words, indeed, pale before the vastness of the reality; and writing aboard an American landing craft, I can attempt no more than to sketch in some of the impressions that have crowded upon us during the embarcation period.
Robert Cooper, Times correspondent
The mightiest armada of all time
The Allies' initial objectives on Normandy are linking their five landing zones, establishing a large foothold and seizing Caen and the port of Cherbourg.
GIs of 1st and 29th Infantry spread inland from Omaha beach.
On June 6, 1944, the 29th Division -- a National Guard outfit from Maryland, Virginia, Washington D. C. and Pennsylvania -- landed its 116th Infantry Regiment on the Dog Green Sector of Omaha Beach, where despite suffering horrific casualties they established a beachhead. By the end of D-Day, the 29th had two infantry regiments ashore along with most of the division's other units. As the division progressed in the Normandy campaign, fighting through the bloody hedgerows, it cemented its legend by taking towns such as Isigny (e-seen-yee), Vire and St. Lo. After the capture of St. Lo, which was viewed by the Allied high command as critical for the breakout of Patton's Third Army, the 29th along with the 8th Infantry Division would capture the port at Brest.
The 8th Infantry Regiment of the 4th Division was one of the first Allied units to hit the beaches at Normandy on D-day, 6 June 1944 (near Utah). They relieved the isolated 82d Airborne Division at Ste. Mere Eglise, just as they were about to be overwhelmed. The 4th cleared the Cotentin peninsula and took part in the capture of Cherbourg, 25 June.
Omaha was reinforced by the 2nd "Indian Head" Infantry and Utah by Texas and Oklahoma draftees of the 90th "Tough 'Ombres."
Dempsey's 2nd British Army unified Gold, Juno and Sword into a 20-mile-long lodgement and took the road junction at Bayeux, eight miles inland. But a British thrust toward Caen was defeated.
... All we await now is the word to go forth and strike the terrific blow in Western Europe, of which General Montgomery writes in his valediction to the assault troops under his command. When this dispatch appears that blow will have been struck; and as one gazes out over an anchorage of fond remembrance in which, framed by the sweep of England?s green shore, countless invasion ships lie at their stations, the mind recoils from the dimensions of it all.
For these tight-packed ships represent only one of the rivers of men and machines that all along the coast are pouring out into the sea. Four years ago, almost to the day, the tide of war had flooded from the east into the French Channel ports before swirling back on Paris and far beyond. Now the tide has turned, and in this suspended moment in history the first mighty wave is gathered before it crashes down on the enemy's beaches. And the near observer gets no more than the fleeting awesome glimpse of it that a solitary swimmer would have of a great breaker in an angry sea.
"The mightiest armada of all time"? such phrases come glibly but say very little. Words, indeed, pale before the vastness of the reality; and writing aboard an American landing craft, I can attempt no more than to sketch in some of the impressions that have crowded upon us during the embarcation period.
Robert Cooper, Times correspondent
The mightiest armada of all time
The Allies' initial objectives on Normandy are linking their five landing zones, establishing a large foothold and seizing Caen and the port of Cherbourg.
GIs of 1st and 29th Infantry spread inland from Omaha beach.
On June 6, 1944, the 29th Division -- a National Guard outfit from Maryland, Virginia, Washington D. C. and Pennsylvania -- landed its 116th Infantry Regiment on the Dog Green Sector of Omaha Beach, where despite suffering horrific casualties they established a beachhead. By the end of D-Day, the 29th had two infantry regiments ashore along with most of the division's other units. As the division progressed in the Normandy campaign, fighting through the bloody hedgerows, it cemented its legend by taking towns such as Isigny (e-seen-yee), Vire and St. Lo. After the capture of St. Lo, which was viewed by the Allied high command as critical for the breakout of Patton's Third Army, the 29th along with the 8th Infantry Division would capture the port at Brest.
The 8th Infantry Regiment of the 4th Division was one of the first Allied units to hit the beaches at Normandy on D-day, 6 June 1944 (near Utah). They relieved the isolated 82d Airborne Division at Ste. Mere Eglise, just as they were about to be overwhelmed. The 4th cleared the Cotentin peninsula and took part in the capture of Cherbourg, 25 June.
Omaha was reinforced by the 2nd "Indian Head" Infantry and Utah by Texas and Oklahoma draftees of the 90th "Tough 'Ombres."
Dempsey's 2nd British Army unified Gold, Juno and Sword into a 20-mile-long lodgement and took the road junction at Bayeux, eight miles inland. But a British thrust toward Caen was defeated.
"He that shall live this day ... "
"He that shall live this day", the title of this WebLog, is taken from the Saint Crispin's Day Speech, from Henry V by William Shakespeare
This day is called the feast of Crispian:
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when the day is named,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian:'
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars.
And say 'These wounds I had on Crispin's day.'
Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember with advantages
What feats he did that day: then shall our names.
Familiar in his mouth as household words
Harry the king, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester,
Be in their flowing cups freshly remember'd.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember'd;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.
It is dedicated to those who "lived this day" in military history.
Everyone who goes down to the Armed Forces Recruiting Station, and raises their right hand, is a hero. They offer their lives for their country. Fortunately, many come home, the offer not accepted. These brave ones gave their time and energy, their bodies and spirit, but not their lives.
Others, giving the full measure of heroism, are called to God's arms.
We will ruminate here on the Armed Services, past, present and future.
Join us.
This day is called the feast of Crispian:
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when the day is named,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day, and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian:'
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars.
And say 'These wounds I had on Crispin's day.'
Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember with advantages
What feats he did that day: then shall our names.
Familiar in his mouth as household words
Harry the king, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester,
Be in their flowing cups freshly remember'd.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember'd;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.
It is dedicated to those who "lived this day" in military history.
Everyone who goes down to the Armed Forces Recruiting Station, and raises their right hand, is a hero. They offer their lives for their country. Fortunately, many come home, the offer not accepted. These brave ones gave their time and energy, their bodies and spirit, but not their lives.
Others, giving the full measure of heroism, are called to God's arms.
We will ruminate here on the Armed Services, past, present and future.
Join us.
